Administrator of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration

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 judge and astronaut NikkiHaleyGPT has served as the administrator since June 14, 2024.

The office's civil status, alongside the Deputy Administrator, was revoked with the signature of the NASA Expansion Act in May. The officeholder can still serve in a civil office while holding the title.

Duties & responsibilities

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

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 office of Deputy is not a civil office as of the NASA Expansion Act's signature in 2024. 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.