NASA Appoints Acting Leaders for Key Spaceflight Roles

Joel Montalbano to lead Space Operations, Dana Hutcherson to oversee Commercial Crew Program

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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NASA has announced that Joel Montalbano will serve as the acting associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD), and Dana Hutcherson will serve as the acting program manager of the Commercial Crew Program. Both leaders were previously serving as deputies in their respective roles.

Why it matters

Strong leadership is essential for advancing NASA's mission, and these acting appointments will help ensure the agency delivers on the President's National Space Policy, maintains American leadership in low Earth orbit, and builds the capabilities required for future space exploration.

The details

Montalbano will assume the role as acting head of SOMD after Kenneth Bowersox's retirement. His key priorities will include establishing a low Earth orbit economy ahead of retiring the International Space Station and maintaining America's superiority in space. Hutcherson will continue her work with the American aerospace industry to develop safe, reliable and cost-effective crew transportation systems for low-Earth orbit destinations, including the International Space Station.

  • On Thursday, NASA announced the acting appointments.
  • Kenneth Bowersox's retirement is effective on Friday, March 6, after which Montalbano will assume the role as acting head of SOMD.

The players

Joel Montalbano

Montalbano will serve as the acting associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD) at NASA Headquarters. He previously served as program manager of the International Space Station at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Dana Hutcherson

Hutcherson will serve as the acting program manager of the Commercial Crew Program at NASA. She previously served as deputy manager of the CCP Systems Engineering and Integration Office, and as deputy manager of the program's Launch Vehicle Systems Office.

Kenneth Bowersox

Bowersox previously announced his retirement, effective Friday, March 6, after which Montalbano will assume the role as acting head of SOMD.

Jared Isaacman

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that Montalbano and Hutcherson are exceptionally well-qualified to serve in these acting roles.

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What they’re saying

“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. 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.”

— Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator (miragenews.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

These acting appointments at NASA demonstrate the agency's commitment to strong leadership and continuity as it works to maintain America's preeminence in space exploration and development of the low Earth orbit economy.