NASA is delaying its plans to reorganize the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) mission directorate following the resignation of associate administrator, SpaceNews reported Monday.
Douglas Loverro, who announced his resignation as HEO head last month, was temporarily replaced by Ken Bowersox who now serves as the directorate’s acting associate administrator.
Steven Jurczyk, the associate administrator of NASA, said at an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AA) webinar that the agency intends to appoint a permanent replacement for Loverro before commencing HEO reorganization activities.
“We believe it’s important for the new [associate administrator] to come in and take a look at the organization and the programs, and make sure that where we were headed is the right structure for the new AA, and then make adjustments to the proposed reorganization,” he noted. “Our goal is to have a new AA named with weeks, not months,” added Jurczyk.
Loverro, who assumed his most recent capacity in December, previously spearheaded efforts to restructure the directorate responsible for programs involving the International Space Station and Artemis mission. According to Jurczyk, the restructuring initiative is “really important to the organization” as well as the Artemis program.
