Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr., NASA Administrator

The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the highest-ranked official of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the space agency of the United States. The administrator serves as the senior space science adviser to the President of the United States. According to NASA, the role of the administrator is to "lead the NASA team and manage its resources to advance the Vision for Space Exploration."^[1]

On May 24, 2009, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Charles Bolden as NASA Administrator, and Lori Garver as Deputy NASA Administrator ^[2]. Bolden and Garver became NASA Administrator and Deputy Administrator respectively upon successful confirmation by the United States Senate on July 15, 2009.^[3][4][5]

The first NASA Administrator was Dr. T. Keith Glennan; during his term he brought together the disparate projects in space development research in the US.^[6] Daniel Goldin held the post for the longest term (just over 9½ years), and is best known for pioneering the "faster, better, cheaper" approach to space programs.^[7] The only person to hold the post twice is James C. Fletcher, who returned to NASA following the Challenger disaster.^[8]

The Deputy Administrator of NASA, "serves as the agency’s second in command and is responsible to the administrator for providing overall leadership, planning, and policy direction for the agency. [He or she] represents NASA to the Executive Office of the President, Congress, heads of federal and other appropriate government agencies, international organizations, and external organizations and communities. [He or she] also oversees the day to day work of NASA’s functional offices, such as the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of General Counsel and Strategic Communications,", according to NASA (referring to Shana Dale).^[9]

The longest running (acting) Deputy Administrator was John R. Dailey, who held the post following his retirement from the United States Marine Corps.^[10] The longest running full Deputy Administrator was Hugh Latimer Dryden, who was the first Deputy Administrator.^[11] William R. Graham has held the post of Deputy Administrator twice, and was the Acting Administrator in between,^[12] as did Frederick D. Gregory.^[13] Dr. Daniel Mulville served as the acting Deputy Administrator twice, and was Acting Administrator in between.^[14]

Administrators

Photograph	Name	Term start	Term end	Term length	Ref(s)
	GlennanDr. T. Keith Glennan	1958-08-19August 19, 1958	1961-01-20January 20, 1961	0885885 days	[15]
	DrydenDr. Hugh L. Dryden (acting)	1961-01-21January 21, 1961	1961-02-14February 14, 1961	002424 days	[15]
	WebbJames E. Webb	1961-02-14February 14, 1961	1968-10-07October 7, 1968	27922,792 days	[15]
	PaineDr. Thomas O. Paine (acting)	1968-10-08October 8, 1968	1969-03-21March 21, 1969	0164164 days	[15]
	PaineDr. Thomas O. Paine	1969-03-21March 21, 1969	1970-09-15September 15, 1970	0543543 days	[15]
	LowDr. George M. Low (acting)	1970-09-16September 16, 1970	1971-04-26April 26, 1971	0222222 days	[15]
	FletcherDr. James C. Fletcher	1971-04-27April 27, 1971	1977-05-01May 1, 1977	21962,196 days	[15]
	LovelaceDr. Alan M. Lovelace (acting)	1977-05-02May 2, 1977	1977-06-20June 20, 1977	004949 days	[15]
	FroschDr. Robert A. Frosch	1977-06-21June 21, 1977	1981-01-20January 20, 1981	13091,309 days	[15]
	LovelaceDr. Alan M. Lovelace (acting)	1981-01-21January 21, 1981	1981-07-10July 10, 1981	0170170 days	[15]
	BeggsJames M. Beggs	1981-07-10July 10, 1981	1985-12-04December 4, 1985	16081,608 days	[15]
	GrahamDr. William R. Graham (acting)	1985-12-04December 4, 1985	1986-05-11May 11, 1986	0158158 days	[15]
	FletcherDr. James C. Fletcher	1986-05-12May 12, 1986	1989-04-08April 8, 1989	10621,062 days	[15]
	MyersDale D. Myers (acting)	1989-04-08April 8, 1989	1989-05-13May 13, 1989	003535 days	[15]
	TrulyVAdm (Ret.) Richard H. Truly (acting)	1989-05-14May 14, 1989	1989-06-30=June 30, 1989	004747 days	[15]
	TrulyVAdm (Ret.) Richard H. Truly	1989-07-01July 1, 1989	1992-03-31March 31, 1992	10041,004 days	[15]
	GoldinDaniel S. Goldin	1992-04-01April 1, 1992	2001-11-17November 17, 2001	35173,517 days	[15]
	MulvilleDr. Daniel R. Mulville (acting)	2001-11-19November 19, 2001	2001-12-21December 21, 2001	003232 days	[15]
	O'KeefeSean O'Keefe	2001-12-21December 21, 2001	2005-02-11February 11, 2005	11481,148 days	[15]
	GregoryCol (Ret.) Frederick D. Gregory (acting)	2005-02-11February 11, 2005	2005-04-14April 14, 2005	006262 days	[15]
	GriffinDr. Michael D. Griffin	2005-04-14April 14, 2005	2009-01-20January 20, 2009	13771,377 days	[1][15]
	ScoleseChristopher Scolese (acting)	2009-01-21January 21, 2009	2009-07-16July 16, 2009	0176176 days	[15]
	BoldenMaj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden, Jr.	2009-07-15July 17, 2009	2009Present	—	[4][15]

Deputy Administrators

Photograph	Name	Term start	Term end	Term length	Ref(s)
	DrydenDr. Hugh L. Dryden	1958-08-19August 19, 1958	1965-12-02December 2, 1965	26622,662 days	[15]
	SeamansDr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr.	1965-12-21December 21, 1965	1968-01-05January 5, 1968	0745745 days	[15]
	PaineDr. Thomas O. Paine	1968-03-25March 25, 1968	1969-03-20March 20, 1969	0360360 days	[15]
	LowDr. George M. Low	1969-12-03December 3, 1969	1976-06-05June 5, 1976	23762,376 days	[15]
	LovelaceDr. Alan M. Lovelace	1976-07-02July 2, 1976	1981-07-10July 10, 1981	18341,834 days	[15]
	MarkDr. Hans Mark	1981-07-10July 10, 1981	1984-09-01September 1, 1984	11491,149 days	[15]
	GrahamDr. William R. Graham	1985-11-25November 25, 1985	1985-12-04December 4, 1985	00099 days	[15]
	GrahamDr. William R. Graham	1986-05-11May 11, 1986	1986-10-01October 1, 1986	0143143 days	[15]
	MyersDale D. Myers	1986-10-06October 6, 1986	1989-05-13May 13, 1989	0950950 days	[15]
	ThompsonJames R. Thompson, Jr.	1989-07-06July 6, 1989	1991-11-08November 8, 1991	0885885 days	[15]
	CohenAaron Cohen (acting)	1992-02-19February 19, 1992	1992-11-01November 1, 1992	0256256 days	[15]
	DaileyJohn R. Dailey (acting)	1992-11-03November 3, 1992	1999-12-31December 31, 1999	31733,173 days	[15]
	MulvilleDr. Daniel Mulville (acting)	2000-01-01January 1, 2000	2001-11-19November 19, 2001	0688688 days	[15]
	Mulville2Dr. Daniel Mulville (acting)	2001-12-21December 21, 2001	2002-08-11August 11, 2002	0233233 days	[15]
	GregoryFrederick D. Gregory	2002-08-12August 12, 2002	2005-02-20February 20, 2005	0923923 days	[15]
	Gregory2Frederick D. Gregory	2005-04-14April 14, 2005	2005-11-04November 4, 2005	0204204 days	[15]
	DaleShana Dale	2005-11-04November 4, 2005	2009-01-17January 17, 2009	11711,171 days	[15]
	GarverLori Garver	2009-07-16July 17, 2009	2009Present	—	[15]

See also

• Chairmen of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
• NASA Chief Scientist

References

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Policy and history NACA (1915) · National Aeronautics and Space Act (1958) · Paine (1986) · Rogers (1986) · Ride (1987) · Space Exploration Initiative (1989) · Augustine (1990) · U.S. National Space Policy (1996) · CFUSAI (2002) · CAIB (2003) · Vision for Space Exploration (2004) · Aldridge (2004) · Augustine (2009) General: Space Race · Administrators · Chief Scientist · NASA Budget · NASA spin-off · NASA TV Robotic programs Past New Millennium · Hitchhiker · Pioneer · Mariner · Lunar Orbiter · Ranger · Surveyor · Viking · Planetary Observer · Mariner Mark II · MESUR · Mars Surveyor '98 Current Living With a Star · Lunar Precursor Robotic Program · Earth Observing System · Great Observatories program · Explorer · Small explorer · Voyager · Discovery · New Frontiers · Mars Exploration Rover · Project Prometheus · Mars Scout Human spaceflight programs Past X-15 (suborbital) · Mercury · Gemini · Apollo · Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (with USSR) · Skylab · Shuttle–Mir (with Russia) Current Space Shuttle program · International Space Station program Future/Planned Constellation program · Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Individual featured missions (Human and robotic) Past COBE · Magellan · Pioneer 10/11 · Voyager 1/2 · Galileo Currently operating WISE · MRO · Mars Odyssey · Dawn · New Horizons · Kepler · Space Shuttle · International Space Station · Hubble Space Telescope · Spitzer · RHESSI · WMAP · SWIFT · GALEX · THEMIS · Mars Exploration Rover · Cassini · GOES 14 · Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter · GOES 15 · SDO Future Aquarius · Glory · NuSTAR · GRAIL · NPP  · James Webb Space Telescope · Juno · MAVEN · EJSM · JDEM · RBSP · MSL · LISA · IXO Space Comm and Nav (SCaN) Space Network · Near Earth Network · Deep Space Network (Goldstone · Madrid · Canberra) NASA categories and lists NASA personnel · NASA programs · NASA probes · NASA images · NASA NASA Astronaut Groups · List of astronauts by selection · List of NASA aircraft · List of NASA missions · List of NASA contractors