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NASA has named astronaut and engineer Christina Koch acting deputy chief engineer, effective Nov. 1, after Katherine Van Hooser retires. The appointment moves Koch into management astronaut status, making her ineligible for future spaceflight assignments.
NASA astronaut and engineer Christina Koch will become the agency’s acting deputy chief engineer on Nov. 1, taking over the role after Katherine Van Hooser retires. NASA said the appointment will move Koch to management astronaut status, meaning she will no longer be eligible for future spaceflight assignments.
In the acting position, Koch will help lead NASA’s engineering community and support technical oversight, mission readiness and engineering excellence across agency programs and projects, NASA said. The agency announced the appointment in a news release. It did not describe the expected length of Koch’s acting tenure or say when a permanent appointment might be made.
Van Hooser is scheduled to conclude more than 35 years of NASA service on Oct. 21. Her career included propulsion engineering at Marshall Space Flight Center, leadership as chief engineer for the space shuttle main engine, and work as the first chief engineer for the Space Launch System’s Liquid Engines Element. She has served as NASA deputy chief engineer since 2023.
Koch most recently served as a mission specialist on Artemis II in April, which NASA describes as the first crewed flight around the Moon in more than 50 years. Before that mission, she spent 328 consecutive days aboard the International Space Station, set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, and took part in the first all-female spacewalks. NASA said she began her agency career as an electrical engineer at Goddard Space Flight Center and has held leadership roles in the Astronaut Office and at Johnson Space Center.
Koch Moves From Flight to Engineering Leadership
The appointment puts an astronaut with experience in both engineering development and crewed missions into an agency-wide technical leadership role. NASA’s description of the job centers on engineering oversight and mission readiness, responsibilities that bear on how the agency evaluates and manages technical work across its programs.
The change also has a direct consequence for Koch’s career: NASA says she will become a management astronaut and lose eligibility for future flights. That formal shift distinguishes the appointment from a temporary leadership assignment alongside an active flight career. The agency has not said whether the role is expected to become permanent.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman linked Koch’s experience to the agency’s plans for lunar exploration and other long-term programs. Those plans provide context for the position’s broad remit, but the agency’s announcement does not identify specific projects Koch will oversee or set out changes to engineering procedures under her leadership.
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From Marshall Engineering to Artemis
Koch’s path to the role began in engineering rather than astronaut training. At Goddard, she worked on scientific instruments for space missions. Before NASA selected her as an astronaut in 2013, she also did scientific field engineering in Antarctica and the Arctic. Her later astronaut and center leadership positions brought operational experience to that technical background.
Van Hooser’s work focused on NASA propulsion systems. She joined the agency in 1991 at Marshall, where her early work involved liquid rocket engine turbomachinery. As chief engineer for the space shuttle main engine, she led engineering efforts through the final 21 shuttle flights. She later worked on the Space Launch System’s liquid engines, which support NASA’s Artemis program, and provided agency-level technical leadership as deputy chief engineer.
The handover follows Van Hooser’s scheduled retirement on Oct. 21, with Koch due to begin the acting role on Nov. 1. NASA has not said who will cover the position between those dates or whether the dates reflect any change in the planned leadership transition.
“Her leadership has strengthened our engineering community and helped guide the agency through critical milestones and transitions.”
— Amit Kshatriya, speaking about Katherine Van Hooser
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Duration and Duties Still Undisclosed
NASA has announced Koch’s start date and the broad scope of the role, but it has not specified how long she will serve in an acting capacity, whether the agency plans a formal search for a permanent deputy chief engineer, or who might be considered for the position. The release also does not list individual programs or decisions that will fall under Koch’s direct oversight.
The agency says the appointment makes Koch ineligible for future spaceflight assignments. It has not given further details about any changes to her astronaut-office responsibilities, the timing of her move into management status, or whether she will retain other duties during the handover.
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Leadership Handover Begins in October
Van Hooser is scheduled to retire on Oct. 21, and Koch is scheduled to start as acting deputy chief engineer on Nov. 1. Those dates are the next confirmed milestones in the changeover. NASA has not announced an additional ceremony, a permanent appointment timetable, or further details about the transition.
After Koch takes up the role, the agency’s stated focus for her work is supporting technical oversight and mission readiness across its programs and projects. Any decisions about a permanent appointment, specific portfolio responsibilities or changes to the engineering organization have not been announced.
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Key Questions
When will Christina Koch become NASA acting deputy chief engineer?
NASA says Koch will begin the role on Nov. 1.
Why is Koch leaving the active astronaut flight pool?
NASA says the appointment moves her to management astronaut status, which makes her ineligible for future spaceflight assignments.
Who is Koch replacing?
She will succeed Katherine Van Hooser, who is scheduled to retire Oct. 21 after more than 35 years at NASA.
What will Koch do as acting deputy chief engineer?
NASA says she will help lead its engineering community, supporting technical oversight and mission readiness across programs and projects. The agency has not detailed specific assignments.
Has NASA said how long Koch will hold the acting position?
No. NASA has not announced the duration of the acting appointment or a timetable for naming a permanent deputy chief engineer.
Source: primary
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