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Indian-origin robotics engineer Amit Kshatriya has been appointed as the new associate administrator of NASA, the highest-ranking civil service position at the US space agency. Acting NASA Administrator Sean P. Duffy announced
the appointment on September 3.
"Amit has spent more than two decades as a dedicated public servant at NASA, working to advance American leadership in space. Under his leadership, the agency will chart a bold vision to return to the Moon during President Trump’s term,” said Sean P. Duffy.
In his new role, Kshatriya serves as a senior advisor to the NASA administrator and oversees the agency’s 10 center directors along with the mission directorate associate administrators at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He also acts as NASA’s
chief operating officer, responsible for ensuring the smooth functioning of the agency’s wide-ranging space programs.
Background and career
Born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, to first-generation Indian immigrants, Kshatriya studied mathematics at the California Institute of Technology and earned a master’s degree in the same subject from the University of Texas at Austin. He is one of only about 100 people in NASA’s history to serve as a mission control flight director.
Kshatriya has been with NASA since
2003, starting out as a software and robotics engineer.
Over the years, he has worked on the robotic assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) and later became a space station flight director between 2014 and 2017, leading global teams in operating the ISS. He then went on to serve as deputy and acting manager of the ISS Vehicle Office, overseeing engineering, logistics, and hardware management.
In recent years, Kshatriya played a key role in the Moon to Mars Program within NASA’s Exploration Systems
Development Mission Directorate. He was directly involved in Artemis I, the agency’s milestone mission to send a spacecraft designed for humans around the Moon.
Honored with the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and the prestigious Silver Snoopy award from astronauts, Kshatriya brings both technical expertise and leadership experience to his new role.
Also read: Here are 10 Indian-origin CEOs leading global firms
"Amit has spent more than two decades as a dedicated public servant at NASA, working to advance American leadership in space. Under his leadership, the agency will chart a bold vision to return to the Moon during President Trump’s term,” said Sean P. Duffy.
In his new role, Kshatriya serves as a senior advisor to the NASA administrator and oversees the agency’s 10 center directors along with the mission directorate associate administrators at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He also acts as NASA’s
Background and career
Born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, to first-generation Indian immigrants, Kshatriya studied mathematics at the California Institute of Technology and earned a master’s degree in the same subject from the University of Texas at Austin. He is one of only about 100 people in NASA’s history to serve as a mission control flight director.
Kshatriya has been with NASA since
Over the years, he has worked on the robotic assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) and later became a space station flight director between 2014 and 2017, leading global teams in operating the ISS. He then went on to serve as deputy and acting manager of the ISS Vehicle Office, overseeing engineering, logistics, and hardware management.
In recent years, Kshatriya played a key role in the Moon to Mars Program within NASA’s Exploration Systems
Honored with the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and the prestigious Silver Snoopy award from astronauts, Kshatriya brings both technical expertise and leadership experience to his new role.
Also read: Here are 10 Indian-origin CEOs leading global firms
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