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.
| Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
|---|---|
 Seal of NASA | |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
| Style | The Honorable (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. The longest-running full deputy administrator was Hugh Latimer Dryden, who was the first deputy administrator. William R. Graham has held the post of Deputy Administrator twice, and was the acting administrator in between, as did Frederick D. Gregory. Dr. Daniel Mulville served as the acting deputy administrator twice, and was acting administrator in between.
The current Deputy Administrator is Pamela Melroy, who was confirmed by the Senate on June 17, 2021, and sworn in on June 21, 2021.
Deputy administrators
| Photograph | Name | Term start | Term end | Term length | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Hugh L. Dryden | August 19, 1958 | December 2, 1965 | 2662 days | ||
| Dr. Robert C. Seamans Jr. | December 21, 1965 | January 5, 1968 | 745 days | ||
| Dr. Thomas O. Paine | March 25, 1968 | March 20, 1969 | 360 days | ||
| Dr. George M. Low | December 3, 1969 | June 5, 1976 | 2376 days | ||
| Dr. Alan M. Lovelace | July 2, 1976 | July 10, 1981 | 1834 days | ||
| Dr. Hans Mark | July 10, 1981 | September 1, 1984 | 1149 days | ||
| Dr. William R. Graham | November 25, 1985 | December 4, 1985 | 9 days | ||
| Dr. William R. Graham | May 11, 1986 | October 1, 1986 | 143 days | ||
| Dale D. Myers | October 6, 1986 | May 13, 1989 | 950 days | ||
| James R. Thompson, Jr. | July 6, 1989 | November 8, 1991 | 885 days | ||
| Aaron Cohen (acting) | February 19, 1992 | November 1, 1992 | 256 days | ||
| John R. Dailey (acting) | November 3, 1992 | December 31, 1999 | 3173 days | ||
| Dr. Daniel Mulville (acting) | January 1, 2000 | November 19, 2001 | 688 days | ||
| Dr. Daniel Mulville (acting) | December 21, 2001 | August 11, 2002 | 233 days | ||
| Frederick D. Gregory | August 12, 2002 | February 20, 2005 | 923 days | ||
| Frederick D. Gregory | April 14, 2005 | November 4, 2005 | 204 days | ||
| Shana Dale | November 4, 2005 | January 17, 2009 | 1171 days | ||
| Lori Garver | July 17, 2009 | September 6, 2013 | 1512 days | ||
| Dr. Dava Newman | May 15, 2015 | January 20, 2017 | 616 days | ||
| Lesa Roe (Acting) | January 20, 2017 | September 11, 2017 | 234 days | ||
| Krista Paquin (Acting) | September 11, 2017 | May 2018 | |||
| James Morhard | October 17, 2018 | January 20, 2021 | 826 days | ||
| Pamela Melroy | June 21, 2021 | Present | 2 years, 323 days |
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