{"id":576664,"date":"2026-10-14T06:41:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T20:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=6ce2f6f81528c91d3b30ed89f2b2a529"},"modified":"2026-10-14T06:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T20:41:11","slug":"nasa-names-astronaut-christina-koch-acting-deputy-chief-engineer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=576664","title":{"rendered":"NASA Names Astronaut Christina Koch Acting Deputy Chief Engineer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"NASA<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA astronaut Christina Koch stands inside Kennedy Space Center\u2019s Vehicle Assembly Building on July 14, 2021, in front of the agency\u2019s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that ultimately powered the Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I mission. Koch later served as a crew member on the Artemis II mission in 2026, and on Oct. 13, 2026, NASA announced she will serve next as the agency\u2019s acting deputy chief engineer.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Glenn Benson<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA engineer and astronaut Christina Koch will serve as the agency\u2019s acting deputy chief engineer beginning on Sunday, Nov. 1, following the retirement of Katherine Van Hooser, who will conclude more than 35 years of distinguished service to the agency on Wednesday, Oct. 21.<\/p>\n

In her new role, Koch will help lead NASA\u2019s engineering community, supporting technical oversight, mission readiness, and engineering excellence across the agency\u2019s programs and projects. With this appointment, Koch will transition to management astronaut status and will no longer be eligible for future spaceflight assignments.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristina has seen NASA engineering from both sides of the equation: developing complex systems on the ground and trusting them with her life in space,\u201d said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. \u201cAfter spending nearly a year living and working aboard the International Space Station and helping lead America back around the Moon on Artemis II this year, she brings an extraordinary combination of technical expertise, operational experience, and judgment to this role. I am excited to see the impact she will have across NASA as we return Americans to the lunar surface, build the Moon Base, get underway on nuclear power in space, and develop the capabilities that will ultimately take us on to Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKatherine has been an extraordinary leader throughout her career, bringing technical expertise, sound judgment, and an unwavering commitment to mission success to some of NASA\u2019s most complex engineering challenges,\u201d said Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator and chief engineer. \u201cHer leadership has strengthened our engineering community and helped guide the agency through critical milestones and transitions. Christina brings a unique combination of engineering expertise, operational experience, and proven leadership, both on the ground and in space. I am grateful to Katherine for her exceptional service and confident Christina will continue the tradition of technical excellence that is essential to everything we do at NASA.\u201d<\/p>\n

Koch most recently served as a mission specialist aboard NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission in April, helping carry out the first crewed flight around the Moon in more than 50 years. She previously spent 328 consecutive days aboard the International Space Station, setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman and participating in the first all-female spacewalks.<\/p>\n

Koch began her NASA career as an electrical engineer at the agency\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, developing scientific instruments for space missions. Before her selection as an astronaut in 2013, her experience also included scientific field engineering in Antarctica and the Arctic. She has since held leadership positions within NASA\u2019s Astronaut Office and at the agency\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston, bringing a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, and firsthand understanding of the demands of human spaceflight to her new role.<\/p>\n

Van Hooser joined NASA in 1991 at the agency\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, beginning a distinguished career in propulsion engineering and technical leadership. Her early work focused on liquid rocket engine turbomachinery before she became chief engineer for the space shuttle main engine, leading engineering efforts through the final 21 shuttle flights. She later served as the first chief engineer for the Space Launch System’s Liquid Engines Element, helping advance the propulsion systems supporting NASA\u2019s Artemis missions.<\/p>\n

As Marshall\u2019s chief engineer and, since 2023, NASA\u2019s deputy chief engineer, Van Hooser provided critical technical leadership and oversight across the agency\u2019s programs. Her steady guidance through complex engineering challenges and organizational transitions helped maintain continuity, strengthen collaboration, and keep mission readiness at the forefront of NASA\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

Learn more about NASA\u2019s missions on the agency\u2019s website:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

George Alderman \/ Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
george.a.alderman@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

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