NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy has named Amit Kshatriya the agency’s new associate administrator, the highest-ranking civil service position.
The agency said Wednesday Kshatriya will oversee program planning and execution for crewed missions to the Moon through the Artemis campaign in preparation for humanity’s first mission to Mars.
Who Is Amit Kshatriya?
Kshatriya has dedicated nearly two decades of service to NASA, gaining valuable operational and strategic experience. Before his most recent promotion, he served as deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars program in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. In this role, he oversaw the execution of the initiative’s initial segments, including Artemis’ human lunar return and the development of foundational surface exploration elements.
The executive also served as deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars program, assistant deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development and deputy manager of the ISS Vehicle Office. He was also flight director, robotics operations lead, and chief training officer.
Before joining NASA, Kshatriya spent over three years at United Space Alliance. He was part of the engineering staff of the ISS mechanical and robotics systems and the computer science staff of the space shuttle avionics development.
“Under his leadership, the agency will chart a bold vision to return to the Moon during President Trump’s term. Amit’s knowledge, integrity, and unwavering commitment to pioneering a new era of exploration make him uniquely qualified to lead our agency as associate administrator,” said Duffy.
