NASA astronaut and engineer Christina Koch will take on the role of acting deputy chief engineer from November 1, following the retirement of Katherine Van Hooser on October 21. Van Hooser is completing more than 35 years of service to the agency.
In her new position, Koch will support technical oversight, mission readiness and engineering standards across NASA’s programmes and projects. The appointment will move her into management astronaut status, making her ineligible for future spaceflight assignments.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman highlighted Koch’s experience in engineering and human spaceflight, saying she understands both the development of complex systems and the challenges of relying on them in space. He also pointed to her nearly 1-year stay aboard the International Space Station and her role in the Artemis II mission, which carried astronauts around the Moon. Koch is expected to contribute to NASA’s plans for returning humans to the lunar surface, developing a Moon Base, advancing nuclear power in space and preparing for future missions to Mars.
NASA Associate Administrator and Chief Engineer Amit Kshatriya praised Van Hooser’s leadership and technical contributions throughout her career. He noted that her work helped guide the agency through major engineering challenges and important transitions. Kshatriya also expressed confidence that Koch would continue NASA’s focus on technical excellence.
Koch most recently served as a mission specialist on NASA’s Artemis II mission in April, supporting the first crewed journey around the Moon in more than 50 years. Before that, she spent 328 consecutive days aboard the International Space Station, setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. She also participated in the first all-female spacewalks.
Her career at NASA began at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where she worked as an electrical engineer developing scientific instruments for space missions. Before becoming an astronaut in 2013, she gained experience in scientific field engineering in Antarctica and the Arctic. She later held leadership roles in NASA’s Astronaut Office and at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Van Hooser joined NASA in 1991 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Her early work focused on liquid rocket engine turbomachinery before she became chief engineer for the space shuttle main engine, overseeing engineering efforts for the final 21 shuttle flights. She later became the first chief engineer for the Space Launch System’s Liquid Engines Element, supporting propulsion systems for NASA’s Artemis programme.
She served as Marshall’s chief engineer before becoming NASA’s deputy chief engineer in 2023. Throughout her tenure, Van Hooser provided technical oversight and helped strengthen collaboration across programmes while keeping mission readiness a priority.
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