NASA Glenn center director to retire

PARIS — A former astronaut who was thought-about final yr for the submit of NASA deputy administrator will retire from her present place as director of the company’s Glenn Analysis Heart on the finish of September.

NASA introduced Sept. 10 that Janet Kavandi will step down as director of Glenn and retire after almost a quarter-century on the company on the finish of the month. Kavandi has been director of the Cleveland-based middle since March 2016.

Within the assertion, Kavandi didn’t disclose why she was leaving the company at the moment. “It was a troublesome determination to name my NASA profession to an finish, particularly at a time when the company is making ready to ship the primary lady and subsequent man to the moon,” she mentioned. “I will likely be intently following the progress as I transition to the subsequent part of life, personally and professionally.”

Kavandi joined NASA in December 1994 when she was chosen to the NASA astronaut corps. She flew on three shuttle flights from 1998 to 2001 and later served as director of flight crew operations on the Johnson Area Heart. She went to Glenn in February 2015 as deputy director.

In June 2018 Kavandi emerged as a candidate to be deputy administrator of the company. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine took the unusual step of endorsing her for the post, saying her expertise and technical background — she has a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the College of Washington — made her “type of individual at this juncture, given how necessary every thing is correct now, that we’d like as our deputy.

The White Home, although, nominated Jim Morhard, a veteran Senate staffer who had most just lately been the deputy sergeant-at-arms for the Senate, for the place of deputy administrator in July 2018. The Senate confirmed Morhard by voice vote in October.

Kavandi’s departure took some within the house business without warning, as there had been no hints she was planning to go away the company. She hosted Bridenstine and two members of Congress at Glenn Aug. 21 to point out off what the middle was contributing to the Artemis program, and a few speculated she could be a candidate to develop into the subsequent affiliate administrator for human exploration and operations, succeeding Invoice Gerstenmaier, who was reassigned in July.

NASA didn’t announce who would succeed Kavandi as Glenn director, saying solely that “Glenn management adjustments following Kavandi’s retirement will likely be introduced at a later date.”

Kavandi is the second NASA middle director to retire this month. David Bowles is retiring on the finish of September as director of the Langley Analysis Heart after almost 4 many years on the company. NASA introduced Sept. 9 that Clayton Turner, the present deputy director of Langley, will succeed Bowles on Sept. 30.