The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Friday announced that Kathy Lueders will be NASA’s first female director of human spaceflight.
Leuders recently managed the first NASA-contracted launch of astronauts from the US since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011.
The SpaceX launch in Florida last month was attended by President Trump and successfully sent two astronauts into orbit.
The currently obscure NASA post will grow in importance as the agency prepares to return humans to the moon in 2024 under the Trump administration’s ambitious space policy.
NASA already announced plans for a woman to walk on the moon when humans make their first landing since 1972.
Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced Leuder’s promotion on Twitter.
“Kathy Lueders has been selected to lead @NASA’s Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate. Kathy has successfully managed both the Commercial Crew & Commercial Cargo programs and is the right person to lead HEO as we prepare to send astronauts to the Moon in 2024,” he wrote.
First daughter and White House adviser Ivanka Trump tweeted her congratulations. “Historic: NASA names first woman to head human spaceflight,” she tweeted with a spacecraft emoji.