Fred Kennedy, director of the Space Development Agency, formally submitted his intent to resign from the position, Space News reported Friday. Kennedy, previously the director of the tactical technology office within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, will return to DARPA upon stepping down.
Patrick Shanahan, acting defense secretary and 2019 Wash100 Award winner, established SDA in March and designated Kennedy as its head. Shanahan intended the agency to manage the development of military space platforms as well as a low-Earth orbit satellite network for hypersonic missile defense.
According to Heather Babb, spokeswoman for the Department of Defense, an acting SDA director “will be announced soon.â€