Stewart Nozette

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Stewart Nozette
Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (1990–1999)
United States Department of Defense
National Space Council (1989–1990)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Alliance for Competitive Technology (1990–present)
DARPA
ThesisThe Physical and Chemical Properties of the Surface of Venus (1983)
Doctoral advisorJohn S. Lewis
Gordon Pettengill

Stewart David Nozette (born May 20, 1957) is an American planetary scientist, technologist, and consultant who worked for the

undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation employee. He pleaded guilty to one charge of attempted espionage and was sentenced, under the terms of a plea bargain, to thirteen years in prison. After serving time[5] at the Federal Correctional Institution, Terre Haute
, Nozette was released on November 13, 2020.

Personal life and education

Nozette was born in

Ph.D. in Planetary sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1983).[3][7] He worked a couple of summers in the 1970's as a guide-lecturer at the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)
while he was home from the University of Arizona.

Career

In 1983-1984 Nozette was co-director of the California Space Institute, affiliated with the

University of Texas as an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering Austin, Texas
.

In the early 1990s, Nozette, as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative's 'Brilliant Pebbles', conceived the idea (and then led the mission) of the

Clementine spacecraft as a means to both provide a test bed for the development of lighter, more cost effective advanced space technology, as well as to obtain data for the Moon.[8]

Nozette and colleagues' bistatic radar results from Clementine claimed to support the discovery of water on the south pole of the Moon. Although the significance of the result was questioned,[9][10] measurements made by subsequent Lunar missions have supported the hypothesis that the Moon holds substantially greater reserves of water than had been thought based on Apollo program results and confirmed Nozette's original findings.[11][12][13] The engineering model of the Clementine spacecraft, which Nozette worked on, hangs in the Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC.[14]

Over the course of his career, Nozette held high level

top secret and handled documents relating to national security.[1] He left the employ of the U.S. government in 2006.[16]

Nozette worked as a technical consultant for

Moon probe, Chandrayaan-1. He was a principal investigator of the Mini-RF instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and a co-investigator on Chandrayaan-1.[7]Nozette was also the president, treasurer and director of the Alliance for Competitive Technology (ACT), a non-profit organization that he organized in March 1990. In 2006 ACT acted for Mississippi State University in bringing together MSU and British microsatellite manufacturer SSTL to form Infinisat as part of a $20m earmark in the FY05 and 06 NASA budget for NASA Stennis Space Centre courtesy of Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran. ACT was also involved with the $40m earmark in the same budget, courtesy of Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, for MSFC’s lander programme.[17][18]

Espionage and arrest

Nozette was under investigation by the Justice Department for possible fraudulent billing on a NASA contract by a nonprofit corporation he ran, "Alliance for Competitive Technology". An unnamed NASA Inspector had allegedly been found billing to NASA for expenses including, among other things, three mortgages, nine credit cards, a Tennis club, pool cleaning, and the Mercedes-Benz Credit Corporation.[19] Documents found by the Justice Department while investigating this allegation included classified documents and an e-mail in which Nozette "threatened to take a classified program on which he worked to an unnamed foreign country or Israel." This information was passed along to the FBI.

In September 2009, Nozette began receiving phone calls from a person claiming to be an agent of Mossad. In reality this was an undercover FBI agent. Nozette expressed a willingness to exchange American intelligence for financial rewards. His first payment was received upon his answers to a list of questions regarding American satellite technology for public access GPS.

criminal complaint, however, does not charge that "the government of Israel or anyone acting on its behalf committed any offense under U.S. laws."[3][20] Nozette's contention is that this was a sting set up as the result of being forced to co-operate in a planned sting of senior political leadership responsible for NASA funding in Mississippi and Alabama. This is documented in his pardon plea.[21]

According to the criminal complaint, Nozette told his espionage contact that his parents were

right to return under Israel's Law of Return. He also asked allegedly for two million dollars and a passport.[3][22]

Nozette reached a plea bargain with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a single count of espionage, as well as pleading guilty earlier to the charges of fraud and tax evasion.[19][22] The prosecution of the fraud and tax evasion case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. Atkinson from the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Kenneth C. Vert from the Department of Justice’s Tax Division.[23]He was sentenced to thirteen years of prison. Held in custody since his arrest in 2009, Nozette received credit for the time he had already served. Nozette was released on November 13, 2020.[24]

Honors

Selected publications

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Agence France-Presse (2009).
  2. ^ New York Times, The Scientist Who Mistook Himself for a Spy, Oct 21 2009; also New York Times, Spying Charges Against Scientist, October 20, 2009, page A19
  3. ^ a b c d e f Martell (2009).
  4. ^ Washington Post, Maryland scientist Stewart Nozette sentenced for passing secrets to supposed Mossad agent, expresses regret, Mar 12 2012
  5. ^ US scientist Stewart Nozette admits Israel spy charge BBC News. 7 September 2011
  6. ^ a b J.J. Goldberg. "An Israel Espionage Drama, Sans Israel," Jewish Forward.
  7. ^ a b Nozette (2008).
  8. ^ Stewart Nozette, "The Clementine Mission" Abstracts of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Vol 26, 1995, p. 1061, doi:1995LPI....26.1061N (web version)
  9. hdl:2060/19990047963
    .
  10. S2CID 2346946
    .
  11. S2CID 6908750
    .
  12. doi:10.1029/2009GL042259
    .
  13. doi:10.1029/2012GL052119
    .
  14. ^ "Clementine, Engineering Model". Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  15. ^ Margasak (2009).
  16. ^ a b Toby Harnden, "Top US scientist accused of trying to spy for Israel," The Daily Telegraph, 19 October 2009(web version, retrieved 19 October 2009).
  17. ^ The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's FY2006 Budget Request: Description, Analysis, and Issues for Congress (fas.org)
  18. ^ News | GRI (msstate.edu)
  19. ^ a b Jim McElhatton, "Prominent scientist pleads guilty to attempted espionage," Washington Times," Sept 7, 2011. web version
  20. ^ DOJ press release (2009).
  21. ^ "Office of the Pardon Attorney | Search for a Case | United States Department of Justice". 25 May 2017.
  22. ^ a b Scott Shane, "Ex-White House Scientist Pleads Guilty in Spy Case Tied to Israel," New York Times, September 8, 2011, p A22 (web version)
  23. ^ Office of Public Affairs | Noted Scientist Sentenced to 13-Year Prison Term for Attempted Espionage, Fraud and Tax Charges | United States Department of Justice
  24. ^ "Inmate Locator".

References

External links

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