Deputy Administrator of NASA

The deputy administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the second-highest-ranking official of NASA, the national space agency of the United States. Administrator of NASA is NASA's chief decision maker, responsible for providing clarity to the agency's vision and serving as a source of internal leadership within NASA. The office holder also has an important place within United States space policy.^[2]

Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Seal of NASA
Incumbent Vacant since January 20, 2025
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Style	The Honorable[1] (formal)
Reports to	Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Seat	Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The president with Senate advice and consent
Term length	At the pleasure of the president
Constituting instrument	51 U.S.C. § 20111
Inaugural holder	Thomas Keith Glennan

History

The longest-running (acting) deputy administrator was John R. Dailey, who held the post following his retirement from the United States Marine Corps.^[3] The longest-running full deputy administrator was Hugh Latimer Dryden, who was the first deputy administrator.^[4] William R. Graham has held the post of deputy administrator twice, and was the acting administrator in between,^[5] as did Frederick D. Gregory.^[6] Dr. Daniel Mulville served as the acting deputy administrator twice, and was acting administrator in between.^[7]

The current deputy administrator is Pamela Melroy, who was confirmed by the Senate on June 17, 2021, and sworn in on June 21, 2021.^[8]

Deputy administrators

Photograph	Name	Term start	Term end	Term length	Ref(s)
	DrydenDr. Hugh L. Dryden	1958-08-19August 19, 1958	1965-12-02December 2, 1965	26622662 days	[8]
	SeamansDr. Robert C. Seamans Jr.	1965-12-21December 21, 1965	1968-01-05January 5, 1968	0745745 days	[8]
	PaineDr. Thomas O. Paine	1968-03-25March 25, 1968	1969-03-20March 20, 1969	0360360 days	[8]
	LowDr. George M. Low	1969-12-03December 3, 1969	1976-06-05June 5, 1976	23762376 days	[8]
	LovelaceDr. Alan M. Lovelace	1976-07-02July 2, 1976	1981-07-10July 10, 1981	18341834 days	[8]
	MarkDr. Hans Mark	1981-07-10July 10, 1981	1984-09-01September 1, 1984	11491149 days	[8]
	GrahamDr. William R. Graham	1985-11-25November 25, 1985	1985-12-04December 4, 1985	00099 days	[8]
	GrahamDr. William R. Graham	1986-05-11May 11, 1986	1986-10-01October 1, 1986	0143143 days	[8]
	MyersDale D. Myers	1986-10-06October 6, 1986	1989-05-13May 13, 1989	0950950 days	[8]
	ThompsonJames R. Thompson, Jr.	1989-07-06July 6, 1989	1991-11-08November 8, 1991	0885885 days	[8]
	CohenAaron Cohen (acting)	1992-02-19February 19, 1992	1992-11-01November 1, 1992	0256256 days	[8]
	DaileyJohn R. Dailey (acting)	1992-11-03November 3, 1992	1999-12-31December 31, 1999	31733173 days	[8]
	MulvilleDr. Daniel Mulville (acting)	2000-01-01January 1, 2000	2001-11-19November 19, 2001	0688688 days	[8]
	Mulville2Dr. Daniel Mulville (acting)	2001-12-21December 21, 2001	2002-08-11August 11, 2002	0233233 days	[8]
	GregoryFrederick D. Gregory	2002-08-12August 12, 2002	2005-02-20February 20, 2005	0923923 days	[8]
	Gregory2Frederick D. Gregory	2005-04-14April 14, 2005	2005-11-04November 4, 2005	0204204 days	[8]
	DaleShana Dale	2005-11-04November 4, 2005	2009-01-17January 17, 2009	11711171 days	[8]
	GarverLori Garver	2009-07-16July 17, 2009	2013-09-06September 6, 2013	1512 days	[8]
	NewmanDr. Dava Newman	2015-05-15May 15, 2015	2017-01-20January 20, 2017	616 days	[8]
	Lesa Roe (Acting)	January 20, 2017	September 11, 2017	234 days	[9]
	Krista Paquin (Acting)	September 11, 2017	May 2018		[8]
	James Morhard	October 17, 2018	January 20, 2021	826 days	[8]
	Pamela Melroy	June 21, 2021	January 20, 2025	4 years, 15 days	[8]