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Janet Petro has been appointed as the acting administrator of the US space agency NASA. The name of the new administrator was announced after Donald Trump took office as US President this week.

Although appointed as an interim head, Petro will be the first woman to lead NASA. No woman has led the agency since its inception in 1958. Petro replaces Bill Nelson, the 14th administrator of NASA.

A NASA statement said that Janet Petro is the acting administrator of NASA. As a result, she will be responsible for managing NASA and overseeing its budget and programs. Petro will serve in this role until a new administrator is appointed by the US Senate.

It is worth noting that Trump nominated entrepreneur and commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator in December 2024.

Petro previously served as the 11th director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He also served in various roles at Kennedy Space Center, including civilian services and personnel management, policy implementation, mission management, and agency programs. During his time as acting director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center, Petro helped develop it into a multi-purpose spaceport, NASA said. Petro began his career as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.

Petro graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York in 1981.

Expresses his opinion.