Rick Burt, formerly chief safety officer within NASA’s safety and mission assurance directorate, has been named head of that directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
Burt succeeds Steve Cash, who retired after 34 years of service for NASA, and will be responsible for safety, reliability and quality engineering and assurance operations at Marshall, the space agency said Thursday.
“Rick’s experience will help us ensure that safety remains paramount as we build and fly the spacecraft that will take human explorers on missions deeper into space than ever before, including on our journey to Mars,” said Todd May, Marshall director.
Burt is a member of the Senior Executive Service and has served as manager of the Marshall engineering directorate’s test laboratory and manager of the Ares 1 First Stage program.
The 26-year NASA veteran began his career at the space agency in 1990 as an enhancement manager for the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor Project, for which he has taken roles of increasing responsibility until he was named chief engineer of the project in 2002.
He has worked on the Space Shuttle Program at NASA and the nuclear power program of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
