Janet Petro NASA Update – April 11, 2025

President Trump's pick for NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman, attended his confirmation hearing on Wednesday morning. The perspectives on our mission and priorities were energizing. A committee vote to send the nomination to the full Senate is the next step, but the date of that vote has not yet been set. As we learn more, I will keep you informed. As we look ahead to new leadership, we continue to deliver on our mission. This week brought several milestones that reflect the dedication, skill, and ingenuity of our team across the agency:

Monday marked Jonny Kim's arrival at the International Space Station following his Soyuz rocket launch. This is his first spaceflight, and during his eight-month stay aboard the station, he’ll contribute to critical research spanning technology development, Earth science, biology, human research, and more. It’s another powerful example of how human spaceflight continues to advance science for the benefit of all.

We welcomed a new signatory to the Artemis Accords in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh became the 54th nation to pledge to conduct responsible, safe, and peaceful space exploration. It is a significant event that exemplifies our shared values and the expanding global momentum. We look forward to collaborating, learning from one another, and seeing how Bangladesh’s incredible talent and vision contribute to humanity’s next great chapter in space.

At Kennedy Space Center, we made more progress toward next year’s Artemis II launch. This week, crews lifted the launch vehicle stage adapter into position atop the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage. The adapter will connect SLS to the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, which is being readied to move to the Vehicle Assembly Building next week.

NASA Aeronautics engineers began a flight test campaign focused on safely integrating air taxis into the national airspace. Engineers are improving tools for collision avoidance and landing operations, standardizing flight test maneuvers, and ensuring safe and effective air taxi operations in a variety of weather conditions using a Joby Aviation demonstrator aircraft. It’s a look at how our research today is shaping the transportation of tomorrow.

In our Space Technology portfolio, we are supporting the flight testing of a fourth entry, descent, and landing technology in just three months. The recent tests aboard a suborbital rocket system, airplane, helicopter, and rocket-powered lander testbed demonstrate the regular cadence and variety of vehicles researchers can take advantage of to rapidly advance critical systems for the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

And in response to severe weather that impacted more than 10 states earlier this month, our NASA Disasters Response Coordination System was activated to support national partners. We’re working closely with the National Weather Service and FEMA covering the central and southeastern U.S. to provide satellite data and expertise that help communities better prepare, respond, and recover.

Alongside these accomplishments, I also had the opportunity to participate in the 4oth Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. While there, I met with over a dozen of our international partners and heard directly from industry leaders on two key areas shaping our future – space communications and commercial destinations in low Earth orbit. The conversations over the course of the week were thoughtful, interesting, and extremely beneficial. We’re continuing our internal work on the next submission for President Trump’s Workforce Optimization Initiative. Leaders across the agency are actively reviewing and refining proposals to help streamline our operations, reduce duplicative reporting and analysis, and increase the speed and clarity of our decision-making.

This effort also includes thoughtful analysis in response to U.S. Advice from the Office of Personnel Management regarding the relocation of some functions that are currently based in the National Capital Region. We're looking into what a possible future NASA Headquarters might look like as part of that. Right now, we're focusing on coming up with options that follow the advice of the Trump administration, but more importantly, on helping our employees and improving our ability to carry out the mission. We are navigating an important moment for NASA – one that calls on all of us to stay focused, flexible, and committed to the values that make this agency great. We appreciate everything you do to advance the mission. Accept the Obstacle, Janet