NASA Kennedy Center Director Announces Plans to Retire
NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro has announced her retirement after a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades in various leadership roles at the agency. She played a key role in transforming Kennedy into a multi-user spaceport and supporting commercial space operations through interagency collaboration. Kelvin Manning has been named acting center director effective immediately, bringing over 32 years of NASA experience to the role.
- ▪Janet Petro is retiring as director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center after serving in various roles since 2007.
- ▪She previously served as NASA Kennedy’s deputy director and acting administrator from January to July 2025.
- ▪Petro helped transition Kennedy into a multi-user spaceport through collaboration with the FAA and U.S. Air Force.
- ▪She began her career as a U.S. Army officer and was part of the second class of women to graduate from West Point.
- ▪Kelvin Manning has assumed the role of acting center director following Petro's retirement.
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3 min readNASA Kennedy Center Director Announces Plans to RetireLauren E. LowMay 01, 2026 RELEASE26-037NASA HeadquartersKennedy Space Center Portrait of Janet Petro, center director for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA NASA announced Friday Janet Petro, center director for the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is retiring. Prior to joining NASA, Petro worked in a variety of military and industry positions, ultimately beginning her career at the agency in 2007 and working her way up to center director, as well as serving as acting administrator from January to July 2025.
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