NASA Appoints Astronaut Christina Koch as Acting Deputy Chief Engineer

• NASA astronaut Christina Koch has been appointed as the agency's acting deputy chief engineer, effective November 1.
• Koch will transition to management astronaut status and is no longer eligible for future spaceflight assignments.
• The appointment follows the retirement of Katherine Van Hooser, who concludes a 35-year tenure on October 21.

Background of the New Deputy Chief Engineer

• Koch began her NASA career as an electrical engineer at Goddard Space Flight Center and conducted scientific field engineering in the Arctic and Antarctica.
• She set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days) and served as a mission specialist on the Artemis II lunar mission.
• NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman highlighted her dual experience in developing ground-based systems and operational spaceflight as critical assets for upcoming lunar and Mars objectives.

Career of Katherine Van Hooser

• Van Hooser joined NASA in 1991, starting as a propulsion engineer and leading engineering efforts for the Space Shuttle Main Engine.
• She served as the first chief engineer for the Space Launch System's (SLS) Liquid Engines Element.
• Since 2023, she has served as NASA's deputy chief engineer, providing technical oversight across agency programs and ensuring mission readiness during complex transitions.