NASA has appointed astronaut Christina Koch as the agency’s acting deputy chief engineer, effective Sunday, Nov. 1. The appointment follows the upcoming retirement of Katherine Van Hooser, who will conclude her tenure on Wednesday, Oct. 21, after more than 35 years of service.
In her new position, Koch will lead the agency’s engineering community. Her responsibilities include technical oversight, mission readiness, and ensuring engineering excellence across NASA’s various programs. The role requires a transition to management astronaut status, which means Koch will no longer be eligible for future spaceflight assignments.
Leadership Transition at NASA
Van Hooser joined NASA in 1991 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Her career began with propulsion engineering and work on liquid rocket engine turbomachinery. She later served as the chief engineer for the space shuttle main engine, leading efforts through the final 21 shuttle flights. She also held the position of chief engineer for the Space Launch System’s Liquid Engines Element, supporting the propulsion systems for the Artemis missions.
As Marshall’s chief engineer and subsequently NASA’s deputy chief engineer since 2023, Van Hooser provided technical leadership across the agency. Her guidance helped maintain continuity during complex engineering challenges and organizational transitions.
“Katherine has been an extraordinary leader throughout her career, bringing technical expertise, sound judgment, and an unwavering commitment to mission success to some of NASA’s most complex engineering challenges,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator and chief engineer. “Her leadership has strengthened our engineering community and helped guide the agency through critical milestones and transitions.”
Koch Brings Spaceflight Experience
Koch brings a unique blend of ground-based engineering and operational spaceflight experience to the deputy chief engineer role. She most recently served as a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission in April, which marked the first crewed flight around the Moon in more than 50 years. Prior to that, she spent 328 consecutive days aboard the International Space Station, setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.
Koch began her NASA career as an electrical engineer at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Before becoming an astronaut in 2013, she worked on scientific field engineering in Antarctica and the Arctic. She has since held leadership positions within the Astronaut Office and at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman highlighted Koch’s dual perspective on engineering. “Christina has seen NASA engineering from both sides of the equation: developing complex systems on the ground and trusting them with her life in space,” Isaacman said. “After 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.”
Isaacman noted that Koch’s appointment supports broader agency goals. He stated he is excited to see her impact as NASA returns Americans to the lunar surface, builds the Moon Base, gets underway on nuclear power in space, and develops capabilities to take humans to Mars.
Kshatriya expressed confidence in Koch’s ability to continue the agency’s tradition of technical excellence. “Christina brings a unique combination of engineering expertise, operational experience, and proven leadership, both on the ground and in space,” he said. “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.”
Source: NASA
