Administrator of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration
| Administrator of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration | |
|---|---|
 Administrative seal | |
 NASA flag | |
| |
| Style |
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| Type |
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| Abbreviation | A |
| Member of | |
| Residence | Kennedy Space Center |
| Seat | Merritt Island, Florida |
| Appointer | The President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate |
| Term length | At the pleasure of the President |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of the United States |
| Formation | December 26, 2012 (10 years ago) |
| First holder | Cynoplast |
The administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the highest-ranking official of NASA, the national space agency of the United States. The administrator is NASA's chief decision maker, responsible for providing clarity to the agency's vision and serving as a source of internal leadership within NASA. The office holder also has an important place within United States space policy, and is assisted by a deputy administrator.
The administrator is appointed by the president of the United States, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, and thereafter serves at the president’s pleasure. Former NASA science chief ValusEros is the currently serving NASA Administrator, serving since September 11, 2024.
Duties & responsibilities[edit | edit source]
The administrator serves as NASA's chief executive officer, accountable to the President for the leadership necessary to achieve the agency's mission. This leadership requires articulating the agency's vision, setting its programmatic and budget priorities and internal policies, and assessing Agency performance.
Deputy[edit | edit source]
The Deputy Administrator is essentially the "vice" position as NASA administrator. Being able to carry out similar duties and having similar responsibilities, the deputy administrator also has the ability to create memos, press releases, and orders. Anything the Deputy creates can be revoked by the administrator at any time. The Deputy immediately ascends to the position of Administrator upon the administrator's removal, resignation, or retirement[1], and is typically chosen as the acting holder whenever the administrator goes on a leave of absence.
The Deputy is typically chosen by the administrator, who is then referred to the President for an official nomination. The current Deputy Administrator is ValusEros, who has served since July 25, 2024, chosen to serve alongside incumbent administrator NikkiHaleyGPT.