In a significant leadership change at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), decorated Indian-American Amit Kshatriya has been appointed as the agency's new associate administrator, the highest-ranking civil service role.

The announcement was made by Acting NASA Administrator Sean P Duffy, who emphasized that Kshatriya's promotion puts the Artemis program -- which aims to return Americans to the Moon and prepare for a mission to Mars -- at the very core of the agency's mission.

Who is Amit Kshatriya?

Kshatriya, a 20-year NASA veteran, previously served as the deputy in charge of the Moon to Mars Programme within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.

A native of Wisconsin and a graduate of the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) and the University of Texas at Austin, he is one of only about 100 people in history to have served as a mission control flight director.

Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his outstanding contributions, including the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for his role as the lead flight director for the 50th expedition to the International Space Station.

He is also a recipient of the Silver Snoopy, an award bestowed by astronauts for exceptional performance related to flight safety.

In his new capacity, Kshatriya will act as the agency's chief operating officer, providing senior advisement to Duffy and leading the directors of all 10 NASA centers.

His appointment is also seen as a signal of the Trump Administration’s commitment to partnering with the burgeoning American commercial space sector to further exploration and economic growth.