NASA Scientist Involved in “Thousand Talents Program” Admits Lying – The “Thousand Talents Program” was established by the Chinese Communist government to recruit people with access to or knowledge of foreign technology or intellectual property rights.

A senior NASA scientist admitted 13 days ago that he lied when he denied his involvement in China’s “Thousand Man Program.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Meyya Meyyappan, 66, a resident of Pacifica, California, has worked for NASA, an independent agency of the U.S. federal government, since 1996, and is responsible for developing and implementing the U.S. civil space program and conducting research in aerospace and space science.

Since 2006, Mayappan has served as chief scientist for exploration technologies at the NASA Ames Research Center’s Nanotechnology Center at Moffett Field in Silicon Valley, California.

The indictment alleges that during his tenure at NASA, Mayappan was subject to restrictions on outside employment, travel and pay, and that despite these prohibitions, he participated in the Chinese Communist Party’s “Thousand Talents Program.

The “Thousand Talents Program” was established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with access to or knowledge of foreign technology or intellectual property rights, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Meijapan also held professorships at universities in China, South Korea and Japan, but he concealed the work from NASA and the U.S. government ethics office.

When Mayapan was questioned by the FBI, NASA OIG and federal prosecutors (USAO) in New York last October 27, he denied his involvement in the Thousand Talents Program or his professorship at a Chinese university. In fact, he was a member of the Thousand Talents Program and also held a position at a university funded by the Chinese Communist government.

Meyappan is charged with one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the proceeds of the crime or damages. A judge is scheduled to sentence him on June 16.

Mark J. Zielinski, NASA’s inspector general, said, “To protect NASA’s intellectual property, specific employees must disclose affiliations with foreign entities. Otherwise, malicious foreign actors could steal U.S. taxpayer-funded technology.”

The U.S. government has prosecuted several academics, researchers and scientists for allegedly working with the Communist Chinese state to steal U.S. trade secrets.