Indian-origin robotics engineer to head NASA’s newly-established Moon to Mars Programme: Amit Kshatriya, an Indian-American engineer with experience in software and robotics, has been named the first director of NASA’s new Moon to Mars Program. This programme was designed to establish a long-term presence on the Moon, which is essential for preparing for future Mars missions. Kshatriya will take over as NASA’s first chief operating officer immediately. He will immediately assume the role of leading the office, which will oversee the agency’s human exploration activities on the Moon and Mars. As the head of the office, Kshatriya will be responsible for planning and executing human missions to these celestial bodies for the betterment of humanity.
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Kshatriya has previously served as the director of the Space Launch System, Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems programs, where he provided leadership and integration. He has also been involved in a number of Artemis Campaign Development Division initiatives aimed at supporting NASA’s Moon to Mars goals. Kshatriya was the acting constable associate administrator for the Common Exploration Systems Development Division prior to his current position. Kshatriya’s career in the space program began in 2003, where he worked as a software engineer, robotics engineer, and spacecraft operator primarily focused on the robotic assembly of the International Space Station.
About the Moon to Mars Programme
The newly-established Moon to Mars Programme Office has been created to assist NASA in achieving its ambitious goal of landing humans on Mars and conducting exploration missions on the Moon. The office is responsible for critical hardware development, mission integration, and risk management functions that support the agency’s exploration approach, according to the 2022 NASA Authorisation Act. This approach is based on using Artemis missions to the Moon as a means of unlocking new scientific discoveries and preparing for future human missions to Mars, as stated in the press release.
