Steve Cash, who began his NASA career at Marshall Space Flight Center more than 40 years ago, has been tapped to lead the agency.
“Steve Cash is a Marshall legend, has spent his career around the hardware, the people and has been in the seat before making the decisions when human spaceflight is on the line,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “As Marshall continues its critical role in Artemis and takes on new challenges in advanced propulsion, nuclear power and the systems that will carry us deeper into the solar system, Steve brings the experience, technical judgment and mission focus needed to lead the center into that next chapter.”
Marshall is one of NASA’s key facilities, with more than 5,000 civil service and contract workers, involved in projects related to propulsion, space systems, research and technology development.
The center is a key player in NASA’s Artemis program, working with the Space Launch System, the Human Landing System and other projects to allow exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond.
“It is a profound honor to be back home at the Marshall Space Flight Center,” said Cash, who began his career at Marshall in 1982. “I am humbled to stand alongside the brilliant minds here as we continue to turn the impossible into everyday history.”
Cash retired from NASA in 2016 and went to work for aerospace company Axient LLC, which is headquartered in Huntsville.
At Marshall, he succeeds Rae Ann Meyer, who filled the lead role temporarily and will now return to her post as deputy center director.
Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator and chief engineer, said, “Steve understands that the jewel of Marshall is its workforce and that engineering excellence is sustained by giving talented people the opportunity to design, build, test and learn through hands-on work. As Marshall continues strengthening the manufacturing, structural loads and dynamics, and propulsion capabilities that underpin NASA’s exploration enterprise, Steve’s leadership will help ensure the workforce has opportunities to develop and apply the expertise needed to deliver the agency’s most ambitious missions.”
