NASA has appointed Amit Kshatriya as its new associate administrator, a significant decision emphasizing the agency's commitment to exploration. The announcement, made September 3rd, highlights the agency’s acting administrator, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's, appointment of Kshatriya to NASA's top civil service position.
The role had been temporarily filled by Vanessa Wyche, director of the Johnson Space Center, since early 2024 following Jim Free's departure in February. Kshatriya previously headed the Moon to Mars Program Office, established in 2023 per a 2022 congressional mandate to oversee the Artemis lunar exploration campaign. NASA stated that Kshatriya's appointment underscores the agency's prioritization of exploration.
"Amit’s knowledge, integrity and unwavering commitment to pioneering a new era of exploration make him uniquely qualified to lead our agency as associate administrator,” said Secretary Duffy. This announcement precedes a Senate Commerce Committee hearing where concerns were raised about China potentially landing astronauts on the moon before NASA's Artemis program.
Mike Gold, president of civil and international space at Redwire and a former NASA official, praised the decision: “I very much appreciate Secretary Duffy’s decisive action, his decisive leadership, in elevating the head of the Moon to Mars program to associate administrator. That sends an important message not just to NASA but to our international partners, even China, that we’re back, we have reignited the torch of Artemis, and we’re going to the moon. NASA civil servants needed to hear that.”
The appointment also underscores the ongoing lack of permanent leadership at NASA. President Trump's appointment of Duffy as acting administrator, replacing Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro, has yet to be followed by a permanent nomination. Nominations for other key positions, including deputy administrator and chief financial officer, remain pending Senate confirmation.