--- title: "New NASA Goddard Director Explains Why She Was Sworn in on a Carl Sagan Book" description: "The new director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has spoken about her decision to be sworn in on a copy of \"Pale Blue Dot\" by Carl Sagan." date: "2023-04-11" modified: "2023-04-11" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-goddard-director-sagan-explanation" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "Carl Sagan" - "NASA" - "NASA goddard" - "the digest" --- # New NASA Goddard Director Explains Why She Was Sworn in on a Carl Sagan Book ![The new director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has spoken about her decision to be sworn in on a copy of "Pale Blue Dot" by Carl Sagan.]() *\Image: NASA / Futurism\* ## Scientific Passion After eagle-eyed netizens noticed that the new director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center was sworn in on Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot," we, like everyone else, [were very excited]() — and as it turns out, so was she. In a statement provided to Futurism, Makenzie Lystrup, the first woman ever to helm Goddard, explained her unique choice of swearing-in literature — and then some. "Like many astronomers and space scientists," Lystrup said, "my passion started with watching Carl Sagan’s ‘Cosmos’ on public television as a child." https://twitter.com/NASAGoddard/status/1645458525915578369 ## Apropos To Something Figures as diverse as [Bill Nye and Seth McFarlane]() cite Sagan as one of their primary inspirations, and, like Lystrup, credit his indefatigable drive to bring science to the masses as one of the best things to happen in recent memory. "Sagan worked very hard to make science accessible and meaningful to everyone," she continues, "and ‘Pale Blue Dot’ emphasizes the importance of exploring our universe and understanding our home planet." "Given its personal significance to me and how its message resonates with the work we do at NASA Goddard on behalf of the world, it felt apropos to include it in the ceremony," Lystrup aptly concluded. Along with providing us with Lystrup's statement, [NASA Goddard also tweeted]() out a "Monday Motivation" post featuring the now-viral photo of the new director taking her oath, and included a Sagan quote for good measure, too. "Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were," the quote reads, "but without it we go nowhere." We couldn't have said it better ourselves. **More from Sagan's widow, Ann Druyan, and his son Sam:** [*The Human Family in Crisis*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()