Jody Singer, NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center Director, revealed Monday her retirement, effective Saturday, July 29, after more than 38 years of service. Credit: NASA
After over 38 years of service, Jody Singer, the first female director of NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, has announced her retirement. Her tenure saw significant advancements at NASA Marshall, with a career covering important functions in space expedition objectives and many prestigious awards. Deputy Center Director Joseph Pelfrey will act as interim director.
Jody Singers Retirement Announcement
On Monday, July 17, Jody Singer, NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center Director, announced her retirement, reliable Saturday, July 29, after more than 38 years of service. Among numerous firsts in her career, Singer was appointed as the very first female center director at Marshall in 2018, after serving as deputy director from 2016 to 2018.
Marshalls present deputy center director, Joseph Pelfrey, will act as the interim acting director until Singers successor is determined through a nationwide search and open competition.
Homages and Interim Leadership
” I wish Jody well throughout her retirement. And I understand people at the start of their profession at NASA– and members of the Artemis Generation who imagine working here– will be motivated by Jodys service, understanding their contributions can help return NASA astronauts to the Moon and prepare us for crewed missions to Mars,” stated NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “And Joseph Pelfrey is no complete stranger to Marshall, having actually signed up with the center two decades ago as an aerospace engineer. Today, he assists guide Marshalls broad portfolio of human spaceflight, science, and innovation development, which supports objectives throughout NASA. We are positive Joseph is prepared to guide Marshall through this transition.”
As center director, Singer handled one of NASAs largest field installations, with nearly 7,000 on- and near-site civil service and professional employees with a yearly spending plan of around $5 billion.
Official NASA portrait of Marshall Space Flight Center Director, Jody Singer. Credit: Fred Deaton/NASA
Singers Impact on NASA Marshall
Under Singers leadership, NASA Marshall, known for its prominence in large space transport systems, has broadened its portfolio to include human lunar landing and freight systems, space habitation and transit systems, advanced propulsion, additive manufacturing, science payload operations, Mars climb spacecraft, and cutting-edge science and technology objectives through innovative partnerships with other NASA centers, industry, federal government agencies, and academia. The Marshall group was important to the successes of NASAs Webb Space Telescope, the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer mission, the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, and SLS (Space Launch System), the companys effective heavy-lift rocket.
Profession Timeline and Achievements
Singer signed up with NASA in 1985 through the expert intern program. She signed up with the Space Shuttle Program Office in 1986 as an engineer in the Space Shuttle Main Engine Office and was included with Return to Flight activities after the space shuttle Challenger accident. She was the very first female job manager for the Reusable Solid Rocket Booster Project from 2002 to 2007 and led the team throughout the shuttle Columbia Return to Flight activities. Starting in 2008 till the shuttles successful retirement in 2011, she was deputy supervisor in the Space Shuttle Propulsion Office. Cumulatively, Jody was part of 110 space shuttle launches.
Marshall Deputy Director Jody Singer shares career experiences and lessons learned throughout the 2017 Shared Experiences Forum. Credit: Emmett Given/NASA
Serving in roles of increasing responsibility, Singer held deputy positions for three concurrent programs, the space shuttle bus, Ares, and the start-up of SLS. As deputy for the Space Shuttle Propulsion Office, she assisted effective fly-out and retirement of the shuttle and the shift of labor force and possessions to the Ares Project Office and SLS Program. As the deputy program manager of SLS at Marshall, she assisted supervise practically 3,000 civil servants and specialists included in the developing, testing, and certification of the rocket. From 2013 to 2016, Singer was supervisor of the Flight Programs and Partnerships Office at Marshall, where she held main responsibility for the centers work with human innovative expedition projects, science flight mission programs, innovation demonstration missions, business crew, and International Space Station life support group, research study centers, and payload mission operations.
Honors and Recognition
Vocalist has actually two times been a NASA Fellow, at Pennsylvania State College and Simmons College Graduate School of Management. She is a recipient of various prestigious NASA awards, including the Space Flight Awareness Leadership Award, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, the Silver Snoopy, and NASA Outstanding Leadership medals. She also is a recipient of 2 Senior Executive Service Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive Awards. Her external acknowledgments consist of Rotary Stellar National Award for Space Achievement; Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame; Distinguished Fellow by the University of Alabama College of Engineering; Gardner Award; AIAA Associate Fellow; 2022 Alabama Engineer of the Year; and the AIAA Hermann Oberth Award.
After over 38 years of service, Jody Singer, the first female director of NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, has announced her retirement. Her tenure saw considerable improvements at NASA Marshall, with a career spanning important roles in area expedition missions and numerous prominent awards. And I know people at the beginning of their career at NASA– and members of the Artemis Generation who dream of working here– will be inspired by Jodys service, understanding their contributions can help return NASA astronauts to the Moon and prepare us for crewed missions to Mars,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Today, he helps guide Marshalls broad portfolio of human spaceflight, science, and innovation advancement, which supports missions throughout NASA. She is a recipient of many prominent NASA awards, consisting of the Space Flight Awareness Leadership Award, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, the Silver Snoopy, and NASA Outstanding Leadership medals.