Aaron Burton headshot. He is smiling in a dark gray shirt and blue tie.

Aaron Burton

Program Scientist

< Back to Program Officers List

Aaron Burton is a Program Scientist in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. He leads the Planetary Science Enabling Facilities (PSEF) and Planetary Major Equipment (PME) programs, as well as the Discovery Data Analysis Program (DDAP). Previously, Aaron conducted planetary science research within the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Division (ARES) at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), where he studied organic geochemistry including the analysis of extraterrestrial organic material in meteorites and other astromaterial samples, along with investigations in prebiotic chemistry. Prior to his time at JSC, Aaron was a NASA Postdoctoral Program fellow at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He earned both his Bachelor of Science and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from Portland State University, with a focus on prebiotic chemistry relevant to the origins of life. Aaron is an avid sports fan, and enjoys spending time with his family.


Please direct questions or corrections on this page to SARA@nasa.gov.