May 3, 2024

Making History: First Female Director Named for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, swears in Dr. Makenzie Lystrup as director of Goddard Space Flight Center, as NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy searches Thursday, April 6, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters structure in Washington. Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber
NASA has actually called Dr. Makenzie Lystrup as the new director of Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. She will be the first female center director at Goddard and takes over from Dave Mitchell who has actually been working as the acting center director given that January 2023. Lystrup was formerly the vice president and basic manager of civil space at Ball Aerospace where she led a number of missions for NASA. She has also served as senior director for Civil Space Advanced Systems and Business Development at Ball. Goddard Space Flight Center is among NASAs largest field centers with a $4 billion portfolio and more than 10,000 workers.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has actually called Dr. Makenzie Lystrup director of the agencys Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, reliable right away. She will make history as the very first female center director at Goddard.
Lystrup is successful Dave Mitchell, who has actually served as Goddards acting center director since January 2023, and now resumes his duties as the agencys primary program management officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Director of Goddard Space Flight Center Dr. Makenzie Lystrup presents for a photo following her swearing-in event Thursday, April 6, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters structure in Washington. Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber
As center director, she will lead a world-renowned group of technologists, researchers, and engineers focused on Earth and area science. “I d likewise like to thank Dave Mitchell for serving as acting center director because January and making sure a smooth shift.
Goddard Space Flight Center is one of NASAs largest field. Goddard is accountable for the oversight and execution of a $4 billion portfolio and is home to the nations biggest concentration of technologists, scientists, and engineers devoted to Earth and space science.
” Goddard is an extraordinary center and true nationwide asset with the best and brightest minds in science and engineering– Im humbled and honored to lead such a varied and amazing world-renowned group,” stated Lystrup. “To build on our tradition, Im acutely concentrated on growing the next generation of innovators together with guaranteeing our team has the tools and resources to advance technologies and make new discoveries that increase the space economy and benefit all of us.”
Prior to signing up with NASA, Lystrup was vice president and basic supervisor of civil space at Ball Aerospace, where she was responsible for the companys portfolio of civil space systems that span across all science fields, operational weather condition and Earth observation, along with advanced technologies advancement objectives. In this role, she led Balls contributions to a number of objectives, such as NASAs James Webb Space Telescope, Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), Landsat 9, and the Roman Space Telescope.
Lystrup has actually likewise functioned as senior director for Balls Civil Space Advanced Systems and Business Development, where she managed brand-new business activities for NASA, NOAA, and other civilian U.S. federal government agencies as well as for academic community and other science companies.

NASA has actually called Dr. Makenzie Lystrup as the brand-new director of Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Lystrup was previously the vice president and basic manager of civil space at Ball Aerospace where she led numerous missions for NASA. Goddard Space Flight Center is one of NASAs biggest field centers with a $4 billion portfolio and more than 10,000 staff members.
Goddard Space Flight Center is one of NASAs largest field.