NASA Announces Leadership Shakeup for Human Spaceflight Operations

A shakeup in NASA’s human spaceflight operations was announced on Feb. 26, marking the first change in management since an investigative report blamed poor leadership as a major cause for Boeing’s near-disastrous test flight in 2024.

Effective immediately, Joel Montalbano became the acting associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate, and Dana Hutcherson assumed the role of Commercial Crew Program manager.

Hutcherson replaces Steve Stich, specifically becoming responsible for “the facilitation of spacecraft development, certification, and operations to enable the safe transportation of NASA astronauts,” according to NASA’s press release.

That includes working with SpaceX on its Crew Dragon for NASA’s Crew-12 missions, and with Boeing on its faulty CST-100 Starliner spacecraft.

Their promotions come a week after Administrator Jared Isaacman unveiled an investigative report on the first manned test flight of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which has been expected to join SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in ferrying NASA’s astronauts to the International Space Station.

He said the report found NASA leadership failed to provide proper oversight of Boeing’s crewed spacecraft’s development, and the certification to hold the company to proper standards.

Isaacman also said leadership did not have the proper insight to understand and assist Boeing with the problems it was facing.

That lack of attention and communication—combined with an alleged compromising desire by people within NASA to see Starliner fly—led to major anomalies found during unmanned test flights being left unresolved.

This led to a major loss of thrusters mid-flight that nearly caused astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to fail to secure refuge aboard the orbiting space station.

While the Starliner capsule returned to Earth intact, it had to do so alone, leaving its crew onboard the space station for nearly 10 months.

The Starliner’s issues remain unresolved.

Isaacman said that he believed accountability touched every level of leadership, including the previous administrator, and “there will be leadership accountability.”

A NASA spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email that Stich was continuing to serve as an adviser for NASA’s Human Landing Systems program, which is working to utilize commercial space partners like SpaceX to develop and deliver the spacecraft astronauts will use to land on the Moon.

NASA did not draw a direct connection between the report and the promotions in its announcement.

Hutcherson was already serving as deputy program manager under Stich and was previously the Commercial Crew Program’s deputy manager of the Systems Engineering and Integration Office.

That role was responsible for maintaining program requirements, as well as planning the certification of SpaceX and Boeing crew spacecraft designs.

Meanwhile, Joel Montalbano succeeds former astronaut Ken Bowersox.

The Space Operations Mission Directorate oversees several programs, including commercial crews, the International Space Station, Human Sciences, and the Human Spaceflight Capabilities program.

Montalbano will be leaving his post in Houston, Texas, as the program manager of the International Space Station.

Montalbano’s priorities will include establishing a low Earth orbit economy ahead of the space station’s decommissioning.

NASA’s press release noted that Bowersox had previously declared his retirement, which would go into effect on March 6. It makes no mention of Stich or the reason for his apparent sudden departure.

Both Montalbano and Hutcherson have been recognized for their leadership.

Montalbano received several awards, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Rank of Meritorious Executive, conferred by the President of the United States, and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.

Meanwhile, Hutcherson earned the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Leadership Award, and Outstanding Leadership Medal.

Isaacman emphasized the agency’s need for strong leadership.

“Strong leadership is essential to advancing NASA’s mission, and Joel Montalbano and Dana Hutcherson are exceptionally well-qualified to serve in these acting roles,” he said.

“Their experience and commitment will help ensure we deliver on the president’s National Space Policy, maintain American leadership in low Earth orbit, and build the capabilities required to achieve the near-impossible beyond it.”