NASA has appointed Denton Gibson as launch director of the Kennedy Space Center Launch Services Program, which he has been a part of since 2004.
Gibson, who previously served as senior mission manager within LSP, succeeds former senior Launch Director Omar Baez, who recently retired, NASA said Monday.
In his new role, Gibson will work with senior Launch Director Tim Dunn in overseeing launches, including those for the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud ocean Ecosystem; Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U; and Europa Clipper missions.
Gibson holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Miami and a doctorate degree in systems engineering from the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Regarding Gibson’s appointment, Dunn said, “His ability to ensure the readiness of spacecraft and rockets, as well as handling unique mission challenges that pop up, make him ready to lead the team on launch day.”
Amanda Mitskevich, the program manager of the Launch Services Program, said Gibson will lead a team responsible for “launching some of NASA’s most important and valuable missions.”
