Christina Koch will take on acting deputy chief engineer on Nov. 1, guiding NASA’s engineering work as a veteran chief engineer retires.
NASA will appoint Christina Koch as acting deputy chief engineer on Nov. 1, after Katherine Van Hooser’s Oct. 21 retirement. Koch will oversee NASA’s engineering work as Artemis-era missions progress, while Van Hooser’s long service closes a chapter in propulsion and engineering leadership.
Koch brings extensive engineering and spaceflight experience, including involvement with Artemis II. She will move into a management astronaut role, which means she won’t be eligible for future spaceflight missions.
What this means for you: steady leadership in NASA’s engineering decisions helps keep complex, costly missions on track and safer for crews. The change matters as Artemis aims to return humans to the Moon and push toward Mars, along with ongoing nuclear power discussions in space.
NASA announced a leadership change that shifts a veteran astronaut into a top engineering post. Christina Koch will become the agency’s acting deputy chief engineer on Nov. 1, following the retirement of Katherine Van Hooser on Oct. 21. Koch’s new duties will center on overseeing technical readiness and engineering excellence across NASA’s programs and projects.
The move comes as NASA continues to push Artemis-era plans, including lunar surface operations and power initiatives. Administrator Jared Isaacman said Koch brings a rare mix of hands-on engineering work and spaceflight leadership that will help guide complex systems from development to operation.
Van Hooser departs after a long tenure in propulsion leadership and overall engineering oversight. Her work helped carry NASA through key milestones and organizational changes, maintaining mission readiness during a period of transition within the agency’s engineering ranks.
Koch is a trained electrical engineer and astronaut who has worked on NASA projects both on the ground and in space. She recently served as a mission specialist on Artemis II and has held long-tenure roles at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where she contributed to space instruments and experiments. Her background combines deep engineering expertise with firsthand experience running missions in space.
The deputy chief engineer guides technical oversight and readiness across NASA’s engineering efforts. With Artemis aims broadening toward sustained lunar activity and future crewed exploration, leadership in engineering helps keep complex systems safe, reliable, and on schedule.
While it sounds niche, this shift touches the safety and reliability of missions Americans fund through NASA. Strong engineering leadership helps reduce risk in costly programs and keeps mission timelines aligned with public expectations and taxpayer dollars.
Koch starts Nov. 1 as acting deputy chief engineer and will transition to management astronaut status, which ends her eligibility for future spaceflight assignments. NASA will detail her early priorities and how the agency will handle the leadership transition around Van Hooser’s retirement later this month.
When does Koch’s appointment begin?
It begins on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Will she still fly to space?
No. She will become a management astronaut, not eligible for future spaceflight assignments.
Who is retiring?
Katherine Van Hooser is retiring after more than 35 years with NASA.
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