Kathy Lueders, former head of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, has been appointed as associate administrator of the agency’s Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) mission directorate replacing Douglas Loverro. Lueders' appointment comes after Loverro resigned as HEO head last month.
Lueders had been serving in her most recent capacity since 2014 and was responsible for NASA’s partnerships with industry for commercial crew efforts including the recent Demo-2 mission with SpaceX. She joined NASA in 1992 and held various leadership roles at the agency where she oversaw International Space Station (ISS) programs and other missions with international partner spacecraft.
Jim Bridenstine, administrator of NASA and former Wash100 Award recipient, said Lueders brings “extraordinary experience and passion” to her new role that will help the agency achieve the Artemis mission’s goal of sending humans to the moon by 2024.
Steve Stich will take over Lueders’ former position while Ken Bowersox will return to serving as deputy associate administrator of the HEO directorate, according to NASA.