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By NASA
Official portrait of NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free, taken on Nov. 22, 2024, at the agency’s headquarters in Washington.Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free announced Wednesday his retirement, effective Saturday, Feb. 22. As associate administrator, Free has been the senior advisor to NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro and leads NASA’s 10 center directors, as well as the mission directorate associate administrators at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He is the agency’s chief operating officer for more than 18,000 employees and oversaw an annual budget of more than $25 billion.
During his tenure as associate administrator since January 2024, NASA added nearly two dozen new signatories of the Artemis Accords, enabled the first Moon landing through the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative to deliver NASA science to the lunar surface, launched the Europa Clipper mission to study Jupiter’s icy ocean moon, and found molecules containing the ingredients for life in samples from asteroid Bennu delivered to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security–Regolith Explorer) spacecraft.
“Throughout his career, Jim has been the ultimate servant leader – always putting the mission and the people of NASA first,” said Petro. “A remarkable engineer and a decisive leader, he combines deep technical expertise with an unwavering commitment to this agency’s mission. Jim’s legacy is one of selfless service, steadfast leadership, and a belief in the power of people.”
Among the notable contributions to the nation during his NASA career, Free also championed a new path forward to return samples from Mars ahead of human missions to the Red Planet, supported the crews living and working aboard the International Space Station as they conduct hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, and engaged industry in new ways to secure a public/private partnership for NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission on the Moon.
“It has been an honor to serve NASA and walk alongside the workforce that tackles the most difficult engineering challenges, pursues new scientific knowledge in our universe and beyond, develops technologies for future exploration endeavors, all while prioritizing safety every day for people on the ground, in the air, and in space,” Free said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the NASA family and contribute to the agency’s mission for the benefit of humanity.”
During his more than three decades of service, Free has held several leadership roles at the agency. Before being named NASA associate administrator, Free served as associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, where he oversaw the successful Artemis I mission and the development of NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture, defining and managing the systems development for the agency’s Artemis missions and planning for NASA’s integrated deep space exploration approach.
Free began his NASA career in 1990 as an engineer, working on Tracking and Data Relay Satellites at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. He later transferred to the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and served in a variety of roles supporting the International Space Station and the development of the Orion spacecraft before transferring to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in 2008. Free returned to NASA Glenn in 2009 and was promoted to chief of the Space Flight Systems Directorate, where he oversaw the center’s space work. Free was named deputy center director in November 2010 and then served as center director from January 2013 until March 2016, when he was appointed to the NASA Headquarters position of deputy associate administrator for Technical [sic] in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.
A native of Northeast Ohio, Free earned his bachelor’s degree in aeronautics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his master’s degree in space systems engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
Free is the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Significant Achievement Medal, and numerous other awards.
For more information about NASA, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
-end-
Kathryn Hambleton / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Feb 19, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Leadership View the full article
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By NASA
One semester as a NASA Pathways intern was enough to inspire Portia Keyes to sign up for a Russian language class at college. After interning in the Johnson Space Center’s Office of Procurement, Keyes hoped to someday use her new language skills in support of the International Space Station Program.
Now, 12 years later, Keyes is the deputy manager of the procurement office for the International Space Station and Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Programs. That means she is responsible for implementing and overseeing acquisition solutions that enable the purchasing of goods and services in support of both programs.
Official NASA portrait of Portia Keyes.NASA It has also given her a chance to use some of what she learned from her Russian language course. One of Keyes’ favorite NASA projects involved negotiating a contract modification with Roscosmos to secure transportation of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station via Soyuz spacecraft following the space shuttle’s retirement. “This project stands out to me both for its impact on NASA’s missions and the way it transcended political and geographical boundaries,” Keyes said. Being a part of this effort reinforced the importance of collaboration on a global scale. “It demonstrated how shared goals and values can unite people across different nations, regardless of external circumstances,” she said. “The world is more connected than we often realize.”
Keyes values collaboration on a smaller scale, as well, noting that her procurement role involves working with a wide variety of subject matter experts who are passionate about their respective fields. She acknowledged that procurement staff are sometimes seen as obstructing or slowing a mission rather than enabling it, although she has overcome this challenge through effective communication with stakeholders – striving to understand their perspectives and present mutually beneficial solutions.
“My commitment is to advancing NASA’s missions through the responsible management of taxpayer dollars,” she said. “Collaborating closely with my technical counterparts, I have been able to secure mission-critical services and supplies, all while adhering to regulatory, schedule, and resource constraints.”
Keyes poses for a picture outside of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Image courtesy of Portia Keyes Adaptability has also been important to Keyes’ success. “Whether it’s shifting priorities due to unforeseen challenges, navigating cultural differences within international teams, or adjusting to new acquisition regulations, being flexible and open to change has allowed me to not just survive in dynamic environments, but thrive,” she said.
At the same time, Keyes strives to maintain balance in the workplace. “What I have learned about myself is that I can do anything, but not everything,” she said. “Maturing in my career has meant accepting that I have limited time, energy, and resources, so it is important to discern what truly matters and focus my efforts there.”
Portia Keyes, fourth from left, received a JSC Director’s Commendation Award in June 2024 for significant contributions to Johnson’s Office of Procurement. From left are Johnson Associate Director for Vision and Strategy Douglas Terrier, Office of Procurement Director Brad Niese, Office of Procurement Functional Lead Candice Palacios-Hoang, Keyes, and Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche.NASA Keyes’ hard work has been recognized with several awards throughout her career. She is proudest of earning the Office of Procurement Bubbee’s Coach Award, which is given to the team member most likely to serve as a mentor to colleagues. “Much of my professional and personal growth has stemmed from formal and informal mentors who supported me in navigating challenges, developing new skills, and creating environments for me to thrive,” she said. “I have a great appreciation for those mentors, and I strive to impact those around me similarly.”
Keyes hopes to encourage the Artemis Generation to approach the future – and periods of uncertainty – with curiosity, resilience, and a responsibility to care for our planet and the universe. She looks forward to the continued expansion of access to space.
“I hope to be around for the days where I can afford a reasonably priced, roundtrip ticket to the Moon,” she said. “Perhaps by then they will sell functional spacesuits in the local sporting goods stores.”
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By Space Force
The U.S. Space Force announced the winners of the third annual Polaris Awards, recognizing individuals and teams who embody the four Guardian Values: Character, Connection, Commitment, and Courage.
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By NASA
Credit: NASA NASA has selected SpaceX of Starbase, Texas, to provide the launch service for the agency’s Pandora mission, which will study at least 20 known exoplanets and their host stars to find out how changes in stars affect our observations of exoplanet atmospheres.
The selection is part of NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This contract allows the agency to make fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity awards during VADR’s five-year ordering period, with a maximum total value of $300 million across all contracts.
During its one-year primary mission, Pandora will observe each exoplanet 10 times, observing for 24 hours each visit. It will capture critical data about the planet and its host star during transits, an event where a planet crosses in front of the star it orbits.
The satellite will use an innovative 17-inch (45-centimeter)-wide all-aluminum telescope to simultaneously measure the visible and near-infrared brightness of the host star and obtain near-infrared spectra of the transiting planet. This will allow scientists to cleanly separate star and planetary signals, knowledge that will enhance observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and future missions searching for habitable worlds, like the agency’s Habitable Worlds Observatory.
Pandora is a joint effort between NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The Astrophysics Pioneers program, from the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, funds Pandora and other astrophysics science missions using smaller, lower cost hardware and payloads. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the VADR contract.
To learn more about NASA’s Pandora mission, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/pandora
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Tiernan Doyle
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov
Patti Bielling
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-501-7575
patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Goddard Space Flight Center Astrophysics Division Astrophysics Pioneers Kennedy Space Center Launch Services Office Launch Services Program Space Operations Mission Directorate View the full article
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By NASA
NASA has awarded Dynamic Aviation Group Inc. of Bridgewater, Virginia, the Commercial Aviation Services contract to support the agency’s Airborne Science Program. The program provides aircraft and technology to further science and advance the use of Earth observing satellite data, making NASA data about our home planet and innovations accessible to all.
This is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum potential value of $13.5 million. The period of performance began Friday, Jan. 31, and continues through Jan. 30, 2030.
Under this contract, the company will provide ground and flight crews and services using modified commercial aircraft, including a Beechcraft King Air B200 and Beechcraft King Air A90. Work will include mechanical and electrical engineering services for instrument integration and de-integration, flight planning and real-time tracking, project execution, as well as technical feasibility assessments and cost estimation. Aircraft modifications may include instrumented nosecones, viewing ports, inlets, computing systems, and satellite communications capabilities.
This work is essential for NASA to conduct airborne science missions, develop and validate earth system models, and support satellite payload calibration. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will administer the agency-wide contract on behalf of the Airborne Science Program in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
To learn more about NASA and agency programs, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
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Rachel Hoover
Ames Research Center, Silicon Valley, Calif.
650-604-4789
rachel.hoover@nasa.gov
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