Administrator of NASA#Administrators

The administrator serves as NASA's chief executive officer, accountable to the President for the leadership necessary to achieve the agency's mission. This leadership requires articulating the agency's vision, setting its programmatic and budget priorities and internal policies, and assessing Agency performance.{{cite web |url=https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codez/plans/Handbook00/chap2.html |title=Chapter 2-Roles and Responsibilities |access-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425133519/https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codez/plans/Handbook00/chap2.html |url-status=dead }}

The first administrator of NASA was Dr. T. Keith Glennan; during his term he brought together the disparate projects in space development research in the US.{{cite web |url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Biographies/glennan.html |title=T. Keith Glennan biography |publisher=NASA |date=August 4, 2006 |access-date= July 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708214210/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Biographies/glennan.html |archive-date= July 8, 2008 |url-status= live}} Daniel Goldin held the post for the longest term (nearly 10 years), and is best known for pioneering the "faster, better, cheaper" approach to space programs.{{cite web |url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/dan_goldin.html |title=Daniel S. Goldin biography |publisher=NASA |date=March 12, 2004 |access-date= July 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615143450/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/dan_goldin.html |archive-date=June 15, 2008|url-status=live}} The only person to hold the post twice is James C. Fletcher, who returned to NASA following the Challenger disaster.{{cite web |url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Biographies/fletcher.html |title=James C. Fletcher biography |publisher=NASA |access-date=July 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706164016/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Biographies/fletcher.html |archive-date= July 6, 2008 |url-status=live}}

The current administrator is KSC director Janet Petro, who was designated by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025 as acting Administrator.{{cite web | title=KSC Director Petro to be Acting NASA Administrator | website=SpacePolicyOnline.com – Your first stop for news, information and analysis about civil, military and commercial space programs | date=2025-01-20 | url=https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/ksc-director-petro-to-be-acting-nasa-administrator/ | access-date=2025-02-06}} She replaced Bill Nelson, who was nominated by President Joe Biden on March 19, 2021,{{Cite web|date=2021-03-19|title=President Biden Announces his Intent to Nominate Bill Nelson for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration|url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/19/president-biden-announces-his-intent-to-nominate-bill-nelson-for-the-national-aeronautics-and-space-administration/|access-date=2021-03-19|website=The White House|language=en-US|archive-date=March 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319162927/https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/19/president-biden-announces-his-intent-to-nominate-bill-nelson-for-the-national-aeronautics-and-space-administration/|url-status=live}} confirmed by the Senate on April 29, and officially sworn in on May 3.{{cite web | url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/prsnnl.htm | title=List of Administrators and Deputy Administrators of NASA | publisher=NASA | access-date=July 4, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080521140315/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/prsnnl.htm| archive-date= May 21, 2008 | url-status= live}} Entrepreneur and commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman was nominated by Trump (while he was President-elect) on December 4, 2024,{{Cite news |date=2024-12-04 |title=Trump Picks Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-04/trump-picks-jared-isaacman-as-nasa-administrator |access-date=2024-12-04 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}} but his nomination was withdrawn on May 31,{{Cite news |title=White House to pull NASA nominee Isaacman |url=https://www.semafor.com/article/05/31/2025/white-house-expected-to-pull-nasa-nominee-isaacman |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250531195704/https://www.semafor.com/article/05/31/2025/white-house-expected-to-pull-nasa-nominee-isaacman |archive-date=2025-05-31 |access-date=2025-05-31 |language=en}} potentially due to Isaacman's donations to Democratic, anti-Trump politicians.{{Cite news |last=Swan |first=Jonathan |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |last3=Chang |first3=Kenneth |date=2025-05-31 |title=Trump to Withdraw Musk’s Ally as Nominee for Top NASA Job |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/us/politics/trump-nasa-nominee-musk.html |access-date=2025-05-31 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

; Status

{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes an acting administrator of NASA|border=black}}

{{legend|#CEC1E7|Denotes a presumptive nominee}}

The line of succession for the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is as follows:{{Cite news|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/01/22/E9-1539/designation-of-officers-of-the-national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-to-act-as-administrator|title=Designation of Officers of the National Aeronautics And Space Administration To Act as Administrator|date=January 22, 2009|newspaper=Federal Register|access-date=October 30, 2016|archive-date=October 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030201415/https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/01/22/E9-1539/designation-of-officers-of-the-national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-to-act-as-administrator|url-status=live}}

1. Deputy administrator of NASA
2. Associate administrator of NASA
3. Chief of staff of NASA
4. Director of Johnson Space Center (Houston, Texas)
5. Director of Kennedy Space Center (Merritt Island, Florida)
6. Director of Marshall Space Flight Center (Redstone Arsenal, Alabama)

In the event of there being no deputy administrator of NASA, the associate administrator will serve as acting administrator.

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

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Category:1958 establishments in the United States