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NASA shakes up human space
exploration leadership
na movethattookmostpeoplein
thespaceindustrybysurprise,NASA
hasreassignedtwotopofficialsinits
explorationprogramme,includingBill
Gerstenmaier,thelongtimeheadofNASA'shuman
spaceflightprogrammes.Ina memotoNASA
employeesissuedlate 10 July,NASAadministrator
JimBridenstinesaidGerstenmaier,associate
administratorforhumanexplorationandoperations,
hadbeenreassignedtoserveasa specialassistant
toNASAdeputyadministratorJimMorhard.
BridenstinesaidthatKenBowersox,a former
astronautwhorejoinedtheagencyearlierthisyear
asGerstenmaier'sdeputy,wouldtakeoverasacting
associateadministrator.
AlsoreassignedwasBillHill,whohadbeen
deputyassociateadministratorforexploration
systemsdevelopment,whowillnowbea special
advisortoassociateadministratorSteveJurczyk.
TomWhitmeyerwilltakeoverasdeputyassociate
administratoronanactingbasis.Bridenstine'smemogavefewspecificsaboutwhy
hewasreplacingGerstenmaierandHill."Asyou
know,NASAhasbeengivena boldchallengetoput
thefirstwomanandthenextmanontheMoonby
2024,witha focusontheultimategoalofsending
humanstoMars,"hewrote."Inanefforttomeetthis
challenge,I havedecidedtomakeleadershipchanges
totheHumanExplorationandOperations(HEO)
MissionDirectorate."
Movingpersonnelinto‘specialadvisor’positions
istypicallyconsidereda demotionforthosewho
cannotbeterminatedoutright.Thosepositions
havefew,ifany,responsibilities,andthose
reassignedasspecialadvisorsusuallyleavethe
agencyshortlythereafter.
Thetimingofthereassignmentstookmostwithin
andoutsidetheagencybysurprise.Bridenstine,
speakingattheFutureSpace 2019 conferenceon
10 July,offerednohintsofanimpendingshake-up,
offeringa generaloverviewofNASA'sexploration
plans,includingdevelopmentoftheLunarGateway.Gerstenmaieralsoprovidednosignsofa
reassignmentwhenhetestified 10 Julybeforethe
HouseScienceCommittee'sspacesubcommittee
oncommercialactivitiesontheInternationalSpace
Station.Histestimony,andtheoverallhearing,
focusedonthelow-Earthorbitcommercialisation
strategythatNASAannouncedinJune.
Somehavespeculatedthatthereassignments
aretheresultofdispleasurebyagencyleadership- andpossiblytheWhiteHouse– atthepaceof
developmentoftheArtemislunarprogramand
itskeyelements,theSpaceLaunchSystemand
theOrionspacecraft.
"ThepresidenthasdirectedNASAand
administratorJimBridenstinetoaccomplishthis
goalbyanymeansnecessary,"VicePresidentMike
Pencesaidina Marchspeechwhereheannounced
the 2024 lunarlandinggoal."Youmustconsider
everyavailableoptionandplatformtomeetour
goals,includingindustry,governmentandtheentire
Americanspaceenterprise."
I
ININCOOPERCOOPERATTIONIONWITWITH
Words by Mara Johnson-Groh© NASA
NASA has big
plans to return
to the Moon
by 2024