Administrator of NASA

space program administrator

The Administrator and Deputy Administrator of NASA are the highest-ranked officials of NASA, the space agency of the United States. The Administrator serves as the senior space science adviser to the President of the United States. According to NASA, the role of the Administrator is to "lead the NASA team and manage its resources to advance the Vision for Space Exploration."[1]

Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA Seal
Constituent part of the administrator's standard
Bill Nelson
Incumbent
Bill Nelson

since May 3, 2021
Reports toPresident
SeatWashington, D.C.
NominatorPresident with Senate advice and consent
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the President
Inaugural holderThomas Keith Glennan
Salary$185,100 annually
(Executive Schedule II)
WebsiteBill Nelson, NASA

Administrators

change
Status
  Denotes an acting administrator of NASA
No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Days served President
serving under
1   T. Keith Glennan August 19, 1958 January 20, 1961 885 Dwight D. Eisenhower
  Dr. Hugh L. Dryden January 21, 1961 February 14, 1961 24 John F. Kennedy
2   James E. Webb February 14, 1961 October 7, 1968 1035
1781
(2816 total)
Lyndon B. Johnson
3   Dr. Thomas O. Paine October 8, 1968 March 21, 1969 104
60 Richard Nixon
March 21, 1969 September 15, 1970 543
(707 total)
-   Dr. George M. Low September 16, 1970 April 26, 1971 222
4   Dr. James C. Fletcher April 27, 1971 May 1, 1977 1200
895 Gerald Ford
101
(2196 total)
Jimmy Carter
-   Dr. Alan M. Lovelace May 2, 1977 June 20, 1977 49
5   Dr. Robert A. Frosch June 21, 1977 January 20, 1981 1309
-   Dr. Alan M. Lovelace January 21, 1981 July 10, 1981 171 Ronald Reagan
6   James M. Beggs July 10, 1981 December 4, 1985 1608
-   Dr. William R. Graham December 4, 1985 May 11, 1986 158
7   Dr. James C. Fletcher May 12, 1986 April 8, 1989 984
78
(1062 total)
George H.W. Bush
-   Dale D. Myers April 8, 1989 May 13, 1989 35
8   VADM (Ret.) Richard H. Truly May 14, 1989 June 30, 1989 47
July 1, 1989 March 31, 1992 1004
(1052 total)
9   Daniel S. Goldin April 1, 1992 November 17, 2001 294
2922 Bill Clinton
301
(3517 total)
George W. Bush
-   Dr. Daniel R. Mulville November 19, 2001 December 21, 2001 32
10   Sean O'Keefe December 21, 2001 February 11, 2005 1148
-   Col (Ret.) Frederick D. Gregory February 11, 2005 April 14, 2005 62
11   Dr. Michael D. Griffin April 14, 2005 January 20, 2009 1377
-   Christopher Scolese January 21, 2009 July 16, 2009 176 Barack Obama
12   Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Charles F. Bolden, Jr. July 17, 2009 January 20, 2017 2744
-   Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. January 20, 2017 April 23, 2018 458 Donald Trump
13   Maj. Jim Bridenstine April 23, 2018 January 20, 2021 1003
-   Steve Jurczyk January 20, 2021 April 30, 2021 100 Joe Biden
14   Captain (Ret.) Bill Nelson May 3, 2021 1312
Nominee   Jared Isaacman TBD Donald Trump

Deputy administrators

change
Photograph Name Term start Term end Term length Ref(s)
  DrydenDr. Hugh L. Dryden 1958-08-19August 19, 1958 1965-12-02December 2, 1965 26622662 days [2]
  SeamansDr. Robert C. Seamans Jr. 1965-12-21December 21, 1965 1968-01-05January 5, 1968 0745745 days [2]
  PaineDr. Thomas O. Paine 1968-03-25March 25, 1968 1969-03-20March 20, 1969 0360360 days [2]
  LowDr. George M. Low 1969-12-03December 3, 1969 1976-06-05June 5, 1976 23762376 days [2]
  LovelaceDr. Alan M. Lovelace 1976-07-02July 2, 1976 1981-07-10July 10, 1981 18341834 days [2]
  MarkDr. Hans Mark 1981-07-10July 10, 1981 1984-09-01September 1, 1984 11491149 days [2]
  GrahamDr. William R. Graham 1985-11-25November 25, 1985 1985-12-04December 4, 1985 00099 days [2]
  GrahamDr. William R. Graham 1986-05-11May 11, 1986 1986-10-01October 1, 1986 0143143 days [2]
  MyersDale D. Myers 1986-10-06October 6, 1986 1989-05-13May 13, 1989 0950950 days [2]
  ThompsonJames R. Thompson, Jr. 1989-07-06July 6, 1989 1991-11-08November 8, 1991 0885885 days [2]
  CohenAaron Cohen (acting) 1992-02-19February 19, 1992 1992-11-01November 1, 1992 0256256 days [2]
  DaileyJohn R. Dailey (acting) 1992-11-03November 3, 1992 1999-12-31December 31, 1999 31733173 days [2]
  MulvilleDr. Daniel Mulville (acting) 2000-01-01January 1, 2000 2001-11-19November 19, 2001 0688688 days [2]
  Mulville2Dr. Daniel Mulville (acting) 2001-12-21December 21, 2001 2002-08-11August 11, 2002 0233233 days [2]
  GregoryFrederick D. Gregory 2002-08-12August 12, 2002 2005-02-20February 20, 2005 0923923 days [2]
  Gregory2Frederick D. Gregory 2005-04-14April 14, 2005 2005-11-04November 4, 2005 0204204 days [2]
  DaleShana Dale 2005-11-04November 4, 2005 2009-01-17January 17, 2009 11711171 days [2]
  GarverLori Garver 2009-07-16July 17, 2009 2013-09-06September 6, 2013 1512 days [2]
  NewmanDr. Dava Newman 2015-05-15May 15, 2015 2017-01-20January 20, 2017 616 days [2]
  Lesa Roe

(Acting)

January 20, 2017 September 30, 2017 253 days [3]
  James Morhard October 17, 2018 January 20, 2021 826 days
  Pamela Melroy June 21, 2021 Incumbent 1263 days

References

change
  1. "Biography of Michael D. Griffin, NASA Administrator". NASA. Archived from the original on July 7, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 "List of Administrators and Deputy Administrators of NASA". NASA. Archived from the original on May 21, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  3. Dunbar, Brian (January 8, 2015). "NASA Organization Structure". NASA. Retrieved February 1, 2017.