NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot plans to retire in April after a 29-year career at the space agency, Spaceflight Now reported Monday.
He told agency employees in a memo, obtained by Spaceflight Now, that he will work with the White House to help ensure a smooth transition.
Lightfoot was appointed to succeed Charles Bolden as head of NASA on an interim basis in January of last year.
President Donald Trump nominated Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Oklahoma) to be the agency’s next administrator in September, but the full Senate has yet to vote on his nomination.
Lightfoot has held various roles of increasing responsibility at NASA such as associate administrator; director of the Marshall Space Flight Center; manager of MSFC’s space shuttle propulsion office; and assistant associate administrator for the agency’s space shuttle program.
He began his career at the agency in 1989 as an MSFC engineer and program manager.
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