NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has named Stephen Cash director of the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, effective Monday, Oct. 19. Cash, a veteran NASA engineer and aerospace executive, returns to lead the center where he began his career more than four decades ago.

“Marshall contributions to NASA’s missions are historic and it’s no question why it’s the Center of Excellence for propulsion,” said Isaacman. “Steve Cash is a Marshall legend, has spent his career around the hardware, the people and has been in the seat before making the decisions when human spaceflight is on the line. As Marshall continues its critical role in Artemis and takes on new challenges in advanced propulsion, nuclear power, and the systems that will carry us deeper into the solar system, Steve brings the experience, technical judgment, and mission focus needed to lead the center into that next chapter. I am also grateful to Rae Ann Meyer for the leadership she has provided to Marshall during this transition and for her continued service to NASA.” 

“Leading a NASA center requires a commitment to its people and to the technical capabilities entrusted to them,” said Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator and chief engineer. “Steve understands that the jewel of Marshall is its workforce and that engineering excellence is sustained by giving talented people the opportunity to design, build, test, and learn through hands-on work. As Marshall continues strengthening the manufacturing, structural loads and dynamics, and propulsion capabilities that underpin NASA’s exploration enterprise, Steve’s leadership will help ensure the workforce has opportunities to develop and apply the expertise needed to deliver the agency’s most ambitious missions.”

 As center director, Cash will lead one of NASA’s largest field centers, overseeing a workforce of more than 5,000 civil service and contractor employees and a broad portfolio of propulsion, space systems, scientific research, and technology development activities.  Marshall plays a critical role in NASA’s Artemis program, including the development of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, management of the Human Landing System Program, as well as other capabilities supporting sustained exploration of the Moon and future missions to Mars. Further, Marshall plays a key role in the advancement of nuclear power and propulsion, an area of focus that is expected to grow as NASA works towards sending the first humans to Mars.  

“It is a profound honor to be back home at the Marshall Space Flight Center,” said Cash. “I am humbled to stand alongside the brilliant minds here as we continue to turn the impossible into everyday history.”

Cash began his NASA career at Marshall in 1982 and spent 34 years with the agency, holding senior engineering and management positions supporting some of the nation’s most significant human spaceflight programs.

During his NASA career, Cash served as manager of Marshall’s Space Shuttle Propulsion Office, overseeing critical propulsion systems supporting shuttle through its final missions. He later served as director of Marshall’s Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate from 2011 until his retirement in 2016, providing leadership in safety, reliability, and quality engineering to support mission success across the center.

Following his retirement from NASA, Cash continued his work in the aerospace industry, including serving as vice president for advanced space systems at Axient, supporting the development and execution of major spaceflight programs. In 2024, he was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to engineering and the nation’s space program.

Cash succeeds Rae Ann Meyer, who has served as Marshall’s acting center director since September 2025. Meyer, who previously served as Marshall’s deputy center director and associate director, has provided leadership and continuity across the center’s programs and operations during her tenure as acting director. Meyer will return to her role as Deputy Center Director.

Established in 1960, Marshall has played a central role in American space exploration for more than six decades, from developing the Saturn rockets that carried astronauts to the Moon during Apollo to advancing the propulsion systems, infrastructure, and technologies supporting the next era of human spaceflight.

For more information about NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/marshall

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

Lance Davis
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
lance.d.davis@nasa.gov

Editor’s Note: This article was updated Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, to reflect a change to the event start time.

Students in Florida will hear from NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney as they answer prerecorded STEM questions while aboard the International Space Station.

The Earth-to-space call will begin at 12:30 p.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 16, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel.

This event is hosted by Sally Ride Elementary School in Orlando, Florida, for students in grades K-12, and the community. This unique opportunity aims to deepen understanding of space exploration and enhance awareness of STEM careers.

Media interested in covering the event must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Oct. 15, to Jenny Morgan at (407) 858-3100, or at jenny.morgan@ocps.net.

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.

For more information on NASA in-flight calls, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

NASA will provide an update on its plans to return American astronauts to the surface of the Moon by 2028 at 2 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 23, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Learn where to watch online:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Participants in the briefing include:

• NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
• NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya
• Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s Artemis program manager

The update will include details about NASA’s Artemis III mission that will send four astronauts to low Earth orbit next year to test critical systems needed for future lunar landings, and how plans to return American astronauts to the Moon by 2028 are progressing.

U.S. media interested in attending in person must apply online by 12 p.m., Friday, Oct. 16. To ask questions remotely, media must request the dial-in number from the Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour prior to the start of the update by emailing: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. 

As part of a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA will send Artemis astronauts on increasingly difficult missions near the lunar South Pole to explore more of the Moon than ever before. In addition to providing economic benefits and advancing scientific discovery through its Moon missions, NASA will establish an enduring human presence on the lunar surface and build on the agency’s foundation for the first crewed mission to Mars.

Learn more about Artemis:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

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Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov

Tiffany Fairley
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
tiffany.l.fairley@nasa.gov

NASA engineer and astronaut Christina Koch will serve as the agency’s 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.

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

“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,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “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. 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.”

“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. 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.”

Koch most recently served as a mission specialist aboard NASA’s 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.

Koch began her NASA career as an electrical engineer at the agency’s 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’s Astronaut Office and at the agency’s 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.

Van Hooser joined NASA in 1991 at the agency’s 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’s Artemis missions.

As Marshall’s chief engineer and, since 2023, NASA’s deputy chief engineer, Van Hooser provided critical technical leadership and oversight across the agency’s 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’s work.

Learn more about NASA’s missions on the agency’s website:

https://www.nasa.gov/

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

Editor’s note: This release was updated Oct. 8, 2026 with the formal name of the summit.

As the Golden Age of deep-space exploration begins, NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy are advancing the development of safe, reliable, next-generation nuclear technologies for space.

Together, the agencies will supercharge civil space exploration, unlock bold scientific discovery, and solidify American leadership in space nuclear power and propulsion. 

“We are entering the ‘Nuclear NASA-era,’ which represents a major transformation for space exploration,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Nuclear power will allow us to go farther, operate longer, and field more capable spacecraft and instruments than ever before. The work we’re doing today is laying the foundation for the fission-powered spacecraft of tomorrow and opening an entirely new frontier for exploration and discovery.”

The new Memorandum of Understanding, “Accelerating American Leadership in Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion,” was signed Thursday between NASA and DOE, and establishes a framework for end-to-end collaboration. The agreement unites both agencies across the full spectrum of space nuclear development, spanning advanced research and fuel production to rigorous testing, launch integration, and operations. Across all these efforts, an uncompromising commitment to safety remains the central pillar.

The signing took place between Isaacman and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright during the Science: A Golden Age Summit, hosted by the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, and is effective Sunday, Nov. 1.

“Thanks to President Trump, America’s nuclear renaissance is reaching a new frontier,” said Wright. “The Energy Department is proud to partner with NASA as we help American space missions reach uncharted territory.”

President Trump’s December 2025 Executive Order on Ensuring American Space Superiority directs NASA to develop a launch-ready lunar surface reactor by 2030, a goal toward which NASA, partnering with DOE, is making steady progress. This pivotal agreement fortifies existing collaborations on fission and radioisotope power systems, propelling NASA’s vision for a sustained human presence on the Moon and accelerating the breakthrough technologies to enable our mission.

When NASA’s Space Reactor‑1 Freedom launches in 2028, nuclear propulsion will advance from laboratory research to operational deep‑space application. This milestone paves the way for Lunar Reactor‑1, the fission surface power system that will sustain the future Moon Base through darkness and shadow. Nuclear power will energize habitats, communications, instruments, rovers, resource usage, and critical lunar infrastructure, and it will be essential for the demanding energy needs of future Mars missions.

Together, SR‑1 and LR‑1 form the foundation of a robust domestic nuclear‑space industrial base. These programs are poised to power permanent lunar outposts, enable exploration of distant worlds, and cement American leadership in space for generations. These endeavors will expand humanity’s reach toward Mars, reinforce American preeminence in deep space, and pioneer innovative technologies that yield benefits here on Earth.

In addition to fission power, NASA continues to expand its use of radioisotope power systems. The Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan, scheduled for launch in 2028, will rely on a Multi‑Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator and 24 Light Weight Radioisotope Heater Units to power and warm the car‑sized rotorcraft. Dragonfly will fly to various locations on Saturn’s moon Titan and investigate the moon’s habitability.

NASA and DOE additionally plan to support ESA’s (European Space Agency) Rosalind Franklin Mars rover studying the potential for past and current life on the Red Planet, by providing 24 similar heater units to maintain instrument temperatures in the extreme cold of the Martian environment.

To learn about Nuclear NASA, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/ignition

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Camille Gallo / Elizabeth Shaw  
Headquarters, Washington  
202-358-1600  
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov

NASA has awarded Modulate Space Corporation a contract to develop key elements of a 5G communications system for use on the lunar surface with built-in Wi-Fi 6, for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

This accelerated effort is organized into two primary work areas that together will develop a scalable, standards-based communications capability designed to support future Moon Base surface operations.

The 5G System and Lunar Surface Communications Evaluation and Radio Propagation Measurements contract is a firm-fixed-price contract with a value of approximately $38 million. The performance period for the 5G Network-in-a-Box Development and Lab Demonstration runs from Thursday, Oct. 1, through Jan. 31, 2028. The performance period for the Lunar 5G and Wi-Fi Integrated Surface Network and Flight Demonstration on the Lunar Surface runs from Monday, Nov. 30, through Dec. 31, 2028.

Through these demonstrations, NASA will acquire technology development of hardware, firmware, and software needed to advance the integrated lunar communications system. This effort will give NASA insight into the system architecture and operational performance while providing the flexibility needed to evolve the technology for future lunar surface communications.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

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Jennifer Dooren
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
jennifer.m.dooren@nasa.gov

Shauntina Lilly
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-973-6415
shauntina.d.lilly@nasa.gov

On Monday, NASA and Boeing provided an update on the company’s Starliner spacecraft, including adding additional crew missions and certifying a new rocket for crew transportation to low Earth orbit.

“We are living through the most exciting era of space exploration since Apollo,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “As this domain continues to open, there will be growing demand for launch vehicles, transfer stages, landers, and, of course, spacecraft that carry astronauts. NASA has been committed to having multiple crew transportation options since the beginning of the Commercial Crew Program. We have worked closely with Boeing to address the issues identified on previous Starliner flights, and we intend to see this vehicle return to flight in support of the International Space Station and future commercial destinations.”

The agency intends to exercise options for a fifth and sixth flight to and from the space station using Starliner, and will work with Boeing and United Launch Alliance to certify the Vulcan rocket for use after the Atlas V rocket’s final flight.

“We are starting with an uncrewed Starliner-1 mission to the International Space Station to validate the improvements made to the spacecraft and gather the flight data we need,” said Isaacman. “From there, we will use what we learn, continue implementing the corrective actions identified by our Program Investigation Team, and complete the testing and certification required for crewed flight. Our current plan is to return astronauts on Starliner-2 by 2028.”

NASA’s commercial crew efforts aim to preserve a U.S. crew transportation capability for ensuring continued access to space. The work is challenging, however, it is essential for responsibly concluding space station operations, transitioning to commercial space stations, and expanding commercial access.

In February, NASA released findings from the agency’s Program Investigation Team outlining the programmatic and technical issues resulting in an uncrewed return of the Starliner during its first crewed flight in 2024. In total, the investigation identified 61 recommendations to NASA to ensure that future missions meet the high standards required for human spaceflight.

The report specifically identified issues with Starliner’s service module reaction control thrusters operating outside of their engineering qualification, which resulted in the loss of control experienced during its Crew Flight Test. Through significant ground testing and analysis, NASA and Boeing learned the service module thruster performance issues resulted from a combination of factors, including the thermal environment and features inherent in its design.

Based on the findings, Boeing has made thermal modifications to the spacecraft’s service module which NASA will evaluate for improved performance on Starliner-1. NASA and Boeing also have jointly decided to implement an additional thruster valve design modification in support of spacecraft certification and future crewed flights.

The uncrewed Starliner-1 has the potential to fly in December of this year or January 2027. It will serve as an engineering evaluation mission to verify improved thermal environments, obtain necessary performance data for system qualification, and identify residual risk ahead of crewed missions.

“Starliner’s next flight is a critical step on the path to achieving full system certification and ensuring a sustained human presence in low Earth orbit,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program. “With the safety of our space station crew and the public as our highest priority, we will test Starliner’s propulsion system through targeted demonstration objectives and disciplined operational controls. These steps are essential to validating Starliner’s thermal performance which is a key element for the certification.”

Following the flight, NASA and Boeing will complete the service module thruster valve design modification, which is focused on addressing poppet seal extrusion and its adverse effects on thruster performance. Boeing also will implement other improvements across the spacecraft including installation of new crew module thrusters, batteries, and minor modifications to the parachute system for increased performance and reliability in support of system certification.

To learn more about NASA’s missions, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

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George Alderman / Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
george.a.alderman@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov