Who is Amit Kshatriya, NASA's new associate administrator
What's the story
Indian-American Amit Kshatriya has been appointed as NASA's new Associate Administrator, the agency's top civil service position. The announcement was made by Acting Administrator Sean P. Duffy on Wednesday. Kshatriya is a 20-year veteran of NASA and previously served as the deputy head of the Moon to Mars Program at the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
Mission involvement
Kshatriya's role in Artemis missions and Trump's space vision
During his tenure, Kshatriya played a key role in planning crewed Artemis missions to the Moon. These missions are seen as a stepping stone toward humanity's first mission to Mars. Duffy emphasized Kshatriya's two decades of public service at NASA and his commitment to advancing American leadership in space, highlighting the agency's bold vision to return to the Moon, a priority during President Trump's term.
Future plans
'Artemis program is the cornerstone of our return to Moon'
Kshatriya, who was born in Wisconsin and educated at Caltech and the University of Texas at Austin, is among a select few to have served as a NASA mission control flight director. He said, "Throughout my career at NASA, I've been driven by a singular mission: to push the boundaries of what's possible in human spaceflight." He also stressed on the importance of Artemis program as "the cornerstone of our return to the Moon and our gateway to Mars."
Background
He was born to first-generation Indian immigrants to the US
Kshatriya completed Master of Arts in Mathematics from The University of Texas, Austin, and has a degree in Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, into a family of first-generation Indian immigrants to the US. Kshatriya is also the recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for his contribution as the lead flight director for the 50th expedition to the ISS.