Kathy Lueders has been selected to lead @NASA’s Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate. Kathy has successfully managed both the Commercial Crew & Commercial Cargo programs and is the right person to lead HEO as we prepare to send astronauts to the Moon in 2024.
With Kathy Lueders leading NASA's human spaceflight efforts, Steve Stich will now be the head of Commercial Crew.
And Ken Bowersox, who was the acting AA of HEO, will return to his position as HEO deputy associate administrator.
Exceptionally good choice! Congratulations, Kathy! No one is more deserving nor well-prepared for this challenge! - Charlie B.
June 12, 2020RELEASE 20-065Kathy Lueders Selected to Lead NASA’s Human Spaceflight OfficeNASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Friday selected Commercial Crew Program Manager Kathy Lueders to be the agency’s next associate administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate. Since 2014, Lueders has directed NASA’s efforts to send astronauts to space on private spacecraft, which culminated in the successful launch of Demo-2 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30.“Kathy gives us the extraordinary experience and passion we need to continue to move forward with Artemis and our goal of landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024,” said Bridenstine. “She has a deep interest in developing commercial markets in space, dating back to her initial work on the space shuttle program. From Commercial Cargo and now Commercial Crew, she has safely and successfully helped push to expand our nation’s industrial base. Kathy’s the right person to extend the space economy to the lunar vicinity and achieve the ambitious goals we’ve been given.”The appointment takes effect immediately. Steve Stich is named Commercial Crew Program Manager, and Ken Bowersox returns to his role as HEO deputy associate administrator.Lueders began her NASA career in 1992 at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico where she was the Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System and Reaction Control Systems Depot manager. She later moved to the International Space Station Program and served as transportation integration manager, where she led commercial cargo resupply services to the space station.She also was responsible for NASA oversight of international partner spacecraft visiting the space station, including the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s H-II Transfer Vehicle, and the Russian space agency Roscosmos’ Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. She went to Kennedy as acting Commercial Crew Program Manager in 2013 and was selected as the head of the office in 2014.Lueders has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of New Mexico and a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from New Mexico State University.“I want to thank Ken and the entire HEO team for their steady support of Kathy in making Commercial Crew such a success,” added Bridenstine. “I know they’ll give her the same support as she moves out in her new role. This is such a critical time for the agency and for HEO. We still need to bring Doug and Bob home safely and we’re not going to lose focus. We have our sights set on the Moon and even deeper into space, and Kathy is going to help lead us there.”For additional information in NASA’s human spaceflight program, visit:https://www.nasa.gov/-end-Bettina Inclán / Matthew RydinHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600 / 202-603-7522[email protected] / [email protected]Last Updated: June 12, 2020Editor: Karen Northon
Great decision.
Congratulations to Kathy Lueders who takes over as head of Human Spaceflight at NASA HQ!
This is fantastic news. Kathy has been brilliant heading up the Commercial Crew Program: she is technically on point, decisive, and a great leader. 👩🏾🚀 🚀
Congratulations Kathy!
I’m a big fan of Kathy Lueders!
NASA’s new chief of human spaceflight has a commercial background“I’m a big fan of Kathy Lueders!”ERIC BERGER - 6/12/2020, 5:34 PM[...]Several sources indicated that this hire is consistent with Bridenstine's view that commercial space companies will play an increasingly important role in human space exploration going forward. Bridenstine has been pushing NASA to do more of its bidding on the basis of fixed price contracts and favoring bidders that also invest in their own hardware and seek to sell their spaceflight services to customers other than NASA.
Here's what you need to know about Kathy Lueders. She just spent a decade closely observing how two of NASA's key contractors, Boeing and SpaceX, approach and solve technical problems. She saw who executed, and who did not. Now she has a broader mandate.
Meet Kathy Lueders.At 1 p.m. ET, this Friday--June 19-Jim Bridenstine will host a media teleconference to introduce Kathy Lueders, the new associate administrator of our Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. You can listen live here ➡️ nasa.gov/live
NASA has changed the date and time for when @JimBridenstine will introduce Kathy Lueders. It now will be on Thursday, June 18, at 2:00 pm ET.
https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/1272927790158041089
NASA's Kathy Lueders, on being the first woman to lead the office of human spaceflight:"It's been amazing to me over the last few days to see all the tweets, snapchats, instagrams from all the girls out there."
Lueders: "That really helps me realize the power of being of my being first, what it means to them. They're able to see themselves in me. I'm very honored by that. And I'm expecting really big things for them, from them."
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine says the re-organization of the human spaceflight office has been on pause since Doug Loverro resigned. With Lueders now in charge, the agency will give her the opportunity to step into the role and determine how she wants to lead HEO.
“I’m committed to our bold goal of sending the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024 under the Artemis program,” says Kathy Lueders, the newly selected associate administrator of our human spaceflight program.
https://twitter.com/kathylueders/status/1280192287981658114QuoteToday is my first day fully transitioned into leading human spaceflight for @NASA. As I move into this new chapter in my professional life, I’m excited for everything we will accomplish!
Today is my first day fully transitioned into leading human spaceflight for @NASA. As I move into this new chapter in my professional life, I’m excited for everything we will accomplish!
An exceptionally well qualified, talented and deserving choice to lead Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA! Congratulations, Kathy!
Congratulations @KathyLueders for being the SpaceNews Awards' Government Leader of the Year. 🏆 For all of this year's winners: bit.ly/3a4h17W
Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, announced Monday she will retire from the agency at the end of April. Lueders’ current deputy and astronaut, Ken Bowersox, will become the new head of Space Operations, effective Monday, May 1.
Changes Ahead as NASA’s Human Spaceflight Head Plans RetirementKathryn Lueders, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, announced Monday she will retire from the agency at the end of April. Lueders’ current deputy and astronaut, Ken Bowersox, will become the new head of Space Operations, effective Monday, May 1. “Kathy is a tremendous public servant and a trailblazer, not only serving as the first woman to head space operations for NASA and the first woman to manage our human spaceflight program, but also championing a new way of doing business in low Earth orbit. The public-private commercial model Kathy and her team helped pioneer will return humanity to the Moon and prepare us for our next giant leap: the first crewed missions to Mars,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Ken has been instrumental to advancing NASA’s goals and missions in low-Earth orbit and beyond, and I know Space Operations will be in good hands under his leadership.”During her 31 years with the agency, Lueders provided strategic guidance for NASA’s human exploration of space, as well as operations that allow the agency to launch science missions to learn about Earth and the universe. Her efforts have helped NASA foster significant change in how it partners with American industry to support and expand research aboard the International Space Station – with crewed and cargo transportation to and from the station.Lueders started her NASA career at the White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where she was the Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System and Reaction Control Systems Depot manager. She quickly demonstrated her engineering expertise, leading her through positions in the International Space Station Program and eventually to serve as manager of the Commercial Crew Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida before joining NASA Headquarters in Washington.Her many honors include several NASA achievement awards, the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, and the Distinguished Service Medal. In addition, she is a 2022 National Academy of Engineering member, a 2020 SpaceNews Government Leader of the Year, an inductee to the 2021 Space and Satellite Hall of Fame, and recipient of the 2021 American Astronomical Society Spaceflight Achievement Award, 2020 Woman in Aerospace Leadership Award, 2022 Space Pioneer Award by the National Space Society, and IAASS’ 2019 Leonardo da Vinci Lifetime Achievement Award.Upon Lueders’ retirement, Bowersox will take lead for the mission directorate. His operations experience includes being acting associate administrator of the former Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, will allow NASA to build on its success in human space exploration.As an astronaut, Bowersox flew five orbital missions for NASA, including two Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions. He served as commander of the sixth expedition at the space station. Following his station mission, Bowersox served as the director of flight operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. He also has experience from working with American industry and serving on the NASA Advisory Council as chair of the Human Exploration and Operations Committee.“Kathy and Ken have both dedicated their life’s work to NASA and our nation. I wish Kathy well during her retirement. We know countless individuals at NASA – as well as members of the Artemis Generation – will be inspired by Kathy’s service and countless contributions,” Nelson said.Learn more about Bowersox’s experience in his biography online:https://www.nasa.gov/offices/heo/bowersox-bio.html-end-
.@KathyLueders announced her retirement from @NASA next month. Her expertise, guidance & leadership have helped us achieve giant leaps in human space exploration, changing the way we do business in low-Earth orbit. We wish her well on her next adventure!
I have edu much enjoyed working w @KathyLueders while at @nasa. Most importantly, I have been impressed by her deep technical knowledge throughout, her strong decision making, and her kindness and support as a friend. There would be no @EuropaClipper without Kathy, [1/2]
We would have less @ISS_Research research w/o her, much less science data to ground, and I actually doubt there would be a @Commercial_Crew program, which has changed how we go to space, and will surely result in much science impact. Best of luck for what is next, @KathyLueders.
What Thomas means here is that Kathy pushed NASA Marshall to actually study the impact of SLS vibrations on the relatively small Clipper spacecraft; and this was the impetus for ultimately moving it onto the Falcon Heavy.
"With this award, NASA and our partners will complete the first crewed demonstration mission to the surface of the Moon in the 21st century as the agency takes a step forward for women’s equality and long-term deep space exploration,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate. “This critical step puts humanity on a path to sustainable lunar exploration and keeps our eyes on missions farther into the solar system, including Mars.”https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/as-artemis-moves-forward-nasa-picks-spacex-to-land-next-americans-on-moon
I'm only surprised she stuck around for a while after her promotion to lead HEO was quickly following by dissolving HEO and appointing Jim Free to lead ESD. I'm sure she'll be more valued in whatever her next endeavor might be. She didn't get tossed aside as roughly as Lori Garver did, so I guess... progress?
Wonder how long before Kathy Lueders join Bill Gerstenmaier at SpaceX?
Quoting NASA:"With this award, NASA and our partners will complete the first crewed demonstration mission to the surface of the Moon in the 21st century as the agency takes a step forward for women’s equality and long-term deep space exploration,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate. “This critical step puts humanity on a path to sustainable lunar exploration and keeps our eyes on missions farther into the solar system, including Mars.”https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/as-artemis-moves-forward-nasa-picks-spacex-to-land-next-americans-on-moon
Thank you to my @NASA Headquarters family for the wonderful retirement party and to NASA Administrator @SenBillNelson for presenting me with a Distinguished Service Medal in honor of my last 31 years of service to the agency. (1/2)
It has been a huge honor and I’ll never forget this beautiful send off from my friends and colleagues. (2/2)
One of the most important leaders at NASA for the last decade and a half. A really big thing Kathy did is push the agency to give commercial companies space to innovate on their own. Big difference in telling companies what to do versus asking how they would do it.
