Jon Olansen, a 33-year veteran of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, has been appointed program manager of the agency’s Gateway lunar space station initiative.
Olansen, who has been with the program since its formation in 2019, succeeds Dan Hartman, who is retiring after four years in the position, NASA said Tuesday.
Gateway is an international collaboration that seeks to build a multi-purpose outpost established around the moon to house capabilities for deep space research and exploration.
Olansen previously supervised the development of the Gateway program’s Habitation and Logistics Outpost module that will accommodate astronauts while they conduct research in support of Artemis missions.
During his more than three-decade career at Johnson Space Center, Olansen held various roles of increasing responsibility within the Engineering Directorate, Astronaut Office, the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance and the Space Shuttle Program.
“He’s a perfect fit for Gateway, which brings together international and commercial partnerships, and is an essential element in future human space exploration,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
