Who is Janet Petro? All we know about NASA's first female acting administrator 

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is all set to see its first female acting administrator as Janet Petro takes the position. US President Donald Trump named a list of acting cabinet-level positions on his first day. Therefore, until his nominees are confirmed, these positions will be filled.

Petro previously served as the director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, since June 2021. It leads the premier multi-user spaceport of the US. There, she managed the center's policy and employees and executed missions and agency program responsibilities.

Before that, she was the deputy director and held the position since 2007 for 14 years. She managed the Kennedy team of contractor and civil service employees along with implementing policies and executing missions and program responsibilities. However, this was not the beginning of her career.

Janet Petro graduated from the US Military Academy with a B.Sc. in engineering in 1981 and later became a commissioned officer in the army. She was in the aviation branch in Germany. She also has a Master of Science degree in business administration from Metropolitan College, Boston University.

While Petro is taking up the position of acting administrator of NASA during the transition period, it will be later taken up by Trump's nominee, Jared Isaacman. Isaacman, an entrepreneur and the founder of Shift4 and Draken International, was picked by Trump in December 2024. He also commanded two spaceflight missions on SpaceX Dragon capsules.

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Janet Petro says she is humbled to take the position of NASA's acting administrator

Janet Petro is elated to fill the position until Isaac goes through the confirmation process. Taking to her LinkedIn handle, Petro mentioned that NASA workforce should continue to lean toward new experiences while adding how the organization's priorities during Trump's administration will be revealed soon.

"I'm humbled and honored to serve as acting NASA Administrator during this transition period. In the coming days, we can expect to hear more about the priorities for NASA under the Trump Administration."

"NASA will continue to support and align with the policies set forth by the new administration while remaining steadfast in our commitment to NASA's mission and core values."

"This is a reminder to our NASA workforce to lean into new experiences because when we shy away from things that challenge us, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to grow," Petro concluded.

Janet Petro replaced Bill Nelson, who was the 14th administrator of NASA and served during Biden's administration. While the role is temporary, Petro is still the first female to lead the organization.