NASA Kennedy Center Director Announces Plans to Retire
NASA announced Friday that Janet Petro, director of the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is retiring.
Before joining NASA, Petro served in a variety of military and industrial positions, ultimately beginning her career at the agency in 2007 and working her way up to Center Director, as well as serving as Acting Administrator from January to July 2025.
“Since the beginning of her distinguished tenure at NASA, Janet has been a deeply influential leader, guiding both the agency and our Kennedy Space Center through some of the most important transitions in our shared history, including playing a central role in transforming NASA Kennedy into the nation’s first multi-user spaceport,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “As NASA has been tasked, once again, with accomplishing the impossible, I am grateful to Janet for always embracing the challenge of discovering what could be and pushing the boundaries to achieve the missions that allow NASA to lead the way into a new space age.”
As NASA Kennedy’s 11th Director, Petro manages a team of government and contractor employees, determining and implementing center policy and managing and executing the agency’s spaceport missions and program responsibilities. Previously, Petro served as Acting Director and Deputy Director of NASA Kennedy. During her tenure as deputy director, she helped transition the center to a multi-user spaceport, leading interagency initiatives with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Air Force to streamline government processes and support commercial space operations to increase government efficiency and limit redundancy.
Petro also held numerous positions at Kennedy and NASA Headquarters in Washington, including as program director on an agency-wide initiative to restructure mission support functions, helping NASA become more effective and efficient in its work.
Outside of the agency, Petro has held various leadership positions for Science Applications International Corporation, or SAIC, and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Corporation, interfacing with NASA, the U.S. Army, and commercial entities on numerous aerospace and military programs.
Petro began his professional career as a commissioned officer in the United States Army after graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. She was part of the second class of West Point graduates to include women. Petro also holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from Metropolitan College of Boston University.
Petro is the recipient of numerous service and performance awards, including the President’s Distinguished Executive Award, and received the astronaut-selected Silver Snoopy Award for his outstanding performance, contributing to flight safety and mission success. In 2018, Petro was selected by Florida Governor Rick Scott for induction into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, and she helped lead the leadership team that received the 2019 Samuel J. Heyman Management Excellence Medal for Service to America Sammies. She received the 2022 Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award from the National Space Club Florida Committee for her contributions to U.S. aerospace efforts in the state of Florida.
Effective Friday, Kelvin Manning now assumes the role of interim director of the center, bringing more than 32 years of leadership and technical expertise. He was previously deputy director of the center.
To learn more about NASA missions, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
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Bethany Stevens / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov
Amanda Griffin
Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
321-593-6244
amanda.griffin@nasa.gov
