Robyn Gatens, who served as NASA's acting director for the International Space Station (ISS) for seven months, has been named to the post permanently.
She will work closely with ISS Program Manager Joel Montalbano in overseeing agency-level policy, stakeholder engagement and technology integration functions for the orbital laboratory, NASA said Wednesday. Gatens will also have risk management, program execution and technical advisory responsibilities in her new position.
The 35-year NASA veteran previously worked as ISS deputy director and helped the agency plan its strategy to drive an economic environment for low-Earth orbit missions. As systems capability leader, Gatens oversaw platforms for managing space station crew health and performance, environment and life support.
NASA added that she drove a strategic direction for the ISS U.S. National Laboratory following an independent review of lab management and operations. Her career at the space agency began at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1985.