NASA has appointed Amit Kshatriya as its new associate administrator, positioning a veteran program leader to steer the Artemis and Moon-to-Mars agenda across the agency’s mission directorates.
The decision, announced Sept. 3, 2025 by Acting Administrator Sean P. Duffy, elevates the former deputy for the Moon to Mars Program within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) to NASA’s top civil service role. The move concentrates executive oversight of human exploration programs as the agency advances the next phase of crewed lunar missions.
Who is Amit Kshatriya
Kshatriya is a 20-year NASA veteran who most recently managed program planning and implementation for crewed Artemis missions as deputy for the Moon to Mars Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He is among a select group to have served as a mission control flight director and holds degrees from the California Institute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin.
What the associate administrator does
The associate administrator is the top career position at NASA Headquarters, with responsibility for agency-wide integration of programs and policies. In the context of Artemis, the role includes aligning budgets and schedules, coordinating safety and technical authority, and synchronizing efforts among NASA centers, industry partners, and international collaborators to execute sustained lunar operations and prepare for future Mars expeditions.
- Role: Associate Administrator, NASA Headquarters
- Previous post: Deputy, Moon to Mars Program (ESDMD)
- Focus: Artemis crewed lunar missions and long-term Mars preparation
- Experience: Mission control flight director; two decades in operations and program leadership
- Education: California Institute of Technology; University of Texas at Austin
Implications for Artemis and Moon-to-Mars
Kshatriya’s appointment consolidates leadership of the exploration portfolio as NASA advances key Artemis elements, including Orion, Space Launch System (SLS), the Gateway lunar outpost, the Human Landing System (HLS), and lunar surface infrastructure. The role will be central to maturing the Moon-to-Mars architecture, managing programmatic risk, and sequencing missions that demonstrate sustained lunar presence as a precursor to future Mars campaigns.
The announcement also underscores continued emphasis on collaboration with the U.S. commercial space sector and international partners to expand industrial capacity, accelerate technology development, and support mission cadence.
What to watch next
- Execution of upcoming Artemis mission milestones and test campaigns
- Progress on Gateway, HLS, and surface mobility systems
- Refinements to the Moon-to-Mars roadmap, including logistics and science objectives
- Coordination with international partners contributing modules, robotics, and payloads
Source
NASA announced the leadership change in an official news release.
