NASA Announces Leadership Shakeup for Human Spaceflight Operations

This change came a week after poor NASA leadership was blamed for the near-disastrous Boeing Starliner crewed test flight in 2024.

An American flag waves in front of NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Feb. 19, 2026. T.J. Muscaro/The Epoch Times

A shakeup in NASA’s human spaceflight operations was announced on Feb. 26, marking the first change in management since an investigative report blamed poor leadership as a major cause for Boeing’s near-disastrous test flight in 2024.

Effective immediately, Joel Montalbano became the acting associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate, and Dana Hutcherson assumed the role of Commercial Crew Program manager.