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<\/a><\/figure>NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free announced Wednesday his retirement, effective Saturday, Feb. 22. As associate administrator, Free has been the senior advisor to NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro and leads NASA\u2019s 10 center directors, as well as the mission directorate associate administrators at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He is the agency\u2019s chief operating officer for more than 18,000 employees and oversaw an annual budget of more than $25 billion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
During his tenure as associate administrator since January 2024, NASA added nearly two dozen new signatories of the Artemis Accords, enabled the first Moon landing through the agency\u2019s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative to deliver NASA science to the lunar surface, launched the Europa Clipper mission to study Jupiter\u2019s icy ocean moon, and found molecules containing the ingredients for life in samples from asteroid Bennu delivered to Earth by NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security\u2013Regolith Explorer) spacecraft.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout his career, Jim has been the ultimate servant leader \u2013 always putting the mission and the people of NASA first,\u201d said Petro. \u201cA remarkable engineer and a decisive leader, he combines deep technical expertise with an unwavering commitment to this agency\u2019s mission. Jim\u2019s legacy is one of selfless service, steadfast leadership, and a belief in the power of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the notable contributions to the nation during his NASA career, Free also championed a new path forward to return samples from Mars ahead of human missions to the Red Planet, supported the crews living and working aboard the International Space Station as they conduct hundreds of\u00a0experiments and technology\u00a0demonstrations, and engaged industry in new ways to secure a public\/private partnership for NASA\u2019s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission on the Moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been an honor to serve NASA and walk alongside the workforce that tackles the most difficult engineering challenges, pursues new scientific knowledge in our universe and beyond, develops technologies for future exploration endeavors, all while prioritizing safety every day for people on the ground, in the air, and in space,\u201d Free said. \u201cI am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the NASA family and contribute to the agency\u2019s mission for the benefit of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
During his more than three decades of service, Free has held several leadership roles at the agency. Before being named NASA associate administrator, Free served as associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, where he oversaw the successful Artemis I mission and the development of NASA\u2019s Moon to Mars architecture, defining and managing the systems development for the agency\u2019s Artemis missions and planning for NASA\u2019s integrated deep space exploration approach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Free\u00a0began his NASA career in 1990 as an engineer, working on Tracking and Data Relay Satellites at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. He later transferred to the agency\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and served in a variety of roles supporting the International Space Station and the development of the Orion spacecraft before transferring to NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston in 2008.\u00a0Free returned to NASA Glenn in 2009 and was promoted to chief of the Space Flight Systems Directorate, where he oversaw the center\u2019s space work. Free was named deputy center director in November 2010 and then served as center director from January 2013 until March 2016, when he was appointed to the NASA Headquarters position of deputy associate administrator for Technical [sic] in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.<\/p>\n
A native of Northeast Ohio, Free earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in aeronautics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his master\u2019s degree in space systems engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.\u202f<\/p>\n
Free is the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Significant Achievement Medal, and numerous other awards.<\/p>\n
For more information about NASA, visit:<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.nasa.gov<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n -end-<\/p>\n Kathryn Hambleton \/ Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n