Meet Amit Kshatriya: The Top Civil Servant at NASA
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIndian American space veteran Amit Kshatriya has been appointed as the associate administrator of NASA, the top civil-service role at the U.S. space agency.
The announcement was made by Acting Administrator Sean P. Duffy on September 3rd, 2025. Kshatriya’s leadership in advancing America’s next era of space exploration was commended by Duffy.
In his new role, Kshatriya will serve as the chief operating officer of NASA, overseeing the agency’s ten center directors and mission directorate associate administrators. He will also act as the principal advisor to Administrator Duffy, overseeing day-to-day operations and long-term strategy. Having a 20-year tenure at NASA, Kshatriya previously served as deputy head of the Moon to Mars Program within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. He played a pivotal role in developing the Artemis program, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon and prepare for humanity’s first mission to Mars.
Kshatriya’s career highlights include serving as a mission control flight director, leading the International Space Station’s 50th Expedition, and serving as lead robotics officer during the Cargo Dragon demonstration mission. He has been recognized with NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal and the Silver Snoopy Award for contributions to crew safety. Educated at the California Institute of Technology (B.S. in Mathematics) and the University of Texas at Austin (mechanical engineering), Kshatriya is known for combining technical expertise with strategic vision. Duffy emphasized Kshatriya’s elevation as a reflection of NASA’s focus on making the Artemis program central to its mission.
With this appointment, Kshatriya joins a growing list of Indian Americans playing key roles in U.S. science and technology leadership, highlighting the community’s expanding influence in shaping the future of space exploration.
