Indian-American Amit Kshatriya, a 20-year veteran of NASA and a decorated spaceflight leader, has been appointed as the US space agency’s new Associate Administrator — its highest-ranking civil service role.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Acting NASA Administrator Sean P. Duffy, who described Kshatriya as a “proven leader” ideally suited to guide the agency’s ambitious Artemis programme and its long-term mission to send humans to Mars.
Born in Wisconsin to Indian immigrant parents, Kshatriya studied at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin before joining NASA in 2003.
Over two decades, he has held several leadership roles, including serving as deputy chief of the Moon to Mars Programme within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters.
Kshatriya is one of only about 100 people in history to serve as a mission control flight director.
He has been recognised with the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for overseeing Expedition 50 to the International Space Station and received the prestigious Silver Snoopy award from astronauts for his contributions to flight safety during SpaceX’s Dragon demonstration mission.
In his new role, Kshatriya will act as NASA’s chief operating officer, senior advisor to the administrator, and leader of the agency’s 10 centre directors and mission directorates.
His promotion comes at a pivotal moment as the US intensifies its focus on returning astronauts to the Moon through the Artemis programme, with Mars exploration as the ultimate goal.
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Duffy said Kshatriya’s appointment underscores President Donald Trump’s commitment to ensuring American leadership in space.
“Amit’s knowledge, integrity, and dedication to advancing exploration make him uniquely qualified to lead NASA at this critical juncture,” Duffy said.
NASA’s statement also highlighted the growing importance of the commercial space sector, noting that Kshatriya’s leadership is expected to strengthen partnerships with private industry, boost the space economy, and secure America’s long-term leadership in space exploration.
Kshatriya, whose father is an engineer and mother a chemist, credits his parents for instilling in him a love for science and mathematics. He lives with his wife and three children.
