{"id":20137,"date":"2020-05-20T14:04:51","date_gmt":"2020-05-20T14:04:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/05\/20\/nasa-exec-resigns-days-before-1st-astronaut-launch-in-years\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:50:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:50:12","slug":"nasa-exec-resigns-days-before-1st-astronaut-launch-in-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/05\/20\/nasa-exec-resigns-days-before-1st-astronaut-launch-in-years\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA exec resigns days before 1st astronaut launch in years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. \u2014 NASA\u2019s chief of human exploration has resigned just days before the first astronaut launch in nearly a decade from Kennedy Space Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The space agency notified employees of the news Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Douglas Loverro, whose resignation took effect Monday, joined NASA last October. He is a former Defense Department and National Reconnaissance Office manager, specializing in space security matters for three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs would only say Loverro decided to resign and, beyond that, the agency cannot discuss personnel issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The announcement comes just eight days before SpaceX attempts to launch its first astronauts under NASA\u2019s commercial crew program. Liftoff is scheduled for May 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides overseeing SpaceX and Boeing\u2019s effort to ferry NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, Loverro was in charge of NASA\u2019s Artemis moon-landing program. Just two and a half weeks ago, NASA announced the three winning corporate teams that will develop lunar landers for astronauts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former space shuttle commander Ken Bowersox, Loverro\u2019s deputy, will resume his role as acting associate administrator of human exploration and operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\t