Janet Petro has retired as director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with Kelvin Manning assuming the role of acting center director, the agency announced Friday.
“From the outset of her distinguished tenure at NASA, Janet has served as a profoundly influential leader, guiding both the agency and our Kennedy Space Center through some of the most significant transitions in our shared history, including playing a central role in reshaping NASA Kennedy into the nation’s premier multiuser spaceport,” said NASA Administrator and 2026 Wash100 Award winner Jared Isaacman.
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What Roles Did Janet Petro Hold at NASA?
Petro has been with the Kennedy Space Center for nearly two decades. Most recently, she served as the center’s 11th director, overseeing civil service and contractor teams, setting policy and managing missions and programs. She also served as acting NASA administrator from January to July 2025, during which she spearheaded a top-level reorganization at the agency.
She previously served as deputy director of the center, where she led cross-agency initiatives with the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Air Force to streamline government processes. Petro was also acting center director and program executive on an agency-wide initiative to restructure mission support functions.
Petro’s Pre-NASA Career
Before joining NASA, Petro worked in the military and aerospace industries. She held multiple leadership roles at SAIC and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, interfacing with NASA, military and commercial entities on numerous aerospace and military programs. Petro began her professional career as a commissioned officer in the Army after graduating from the Military Academy in 1981, as part of the second class of West Point graduates to include women.
Who Is Kelvin Manning?
The new acting center director is a 32-year veteran of the space industry who spent nearly 12 years as the center’s associate director. He previously worked as an operations engineer and manager, and served as flow director for space shuttle Atlantis, acting chief engineer for shuttle upgrades, vehicle manager for space shuttle Columbia and NASA test director.
Manning also held roles as a lead engineer at McDonnell Douglas Space Systems and a systems engineer at General Electric Aerospace, and served in the Air Force as a space operations analyst.
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