NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has named Stephen Cash director of the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, effective Monday, Oct. 19. Cash, a veteran NASA engineer and aerospace executive, returns to lead the center where he began his career more than four decades ago.
«Marshall contributions to NASA's missions are historic and it's no question why it's the Center of Excellence for propulsion,» Isaacman said. «Steve Cash is a Marshall legend, has spent his career around the hardware, the people and has been in the seat before making the decisions when human spaceflight is on the line.»
As center director, Cash will oversee one of NASA's largest field centers, with a workforce of more than 5,000 civil service and contractor employees. Marshall plays a critical role in NASA's Artemis program, including development of the Space Launch System rocket and management of the Human Landing System Program. The center also supports sustained exploration of the Moon and future missions to Mars, and leads work in nuclear power and propulsion — an area expected to grow as NASA works toward sending the first humans to Mars.
Cash began his NASA career at Marshall in 1982 and spent 34 years with the agency, holding senior engineering and management positions. He served as manager of Marshall's Space Shuttle Propulsion Office, overseeing critical propulsion systems through the shuttle's final missions. From 2011 until his retirement in 2016, he was director of Marshall's Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, providing leadership in safety, reliability, and quality engineering.
After retiring from NASA, Cash continued in the aerospace industry, including as vice president for advanced space systems at Axient, supporting major spaceflight programs. In 2024, he was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame for his contributions to engineering and the nation's space program.
«It is a profound honor to be back home at the Marshall Space Flight Center,» Cash said. «I am humbled to stand alongside the brilliant minds here as we continue to turn the impossible into everyday history.»
Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator and chief engineer, said leading a NASA center requires commitment to its people and the technical capabilities entrusted to them. «Steve understands that the jewel of Marshall is its workforce and that engineering excellence is sustained by giving talented people the opportunity to design, build, test, and learn through hands-on work,» Kshatriya said.
Cash succeeds Rae Ann Meyer, who has served as Marshall's acting center director since September 2025. Meyer, previously the center's deputy director and associate director, provided leadership and continuity across programs and operations during the transition. She will return to her role as Deputy Center Director.
Isaacman thanked Meyer for her leadership during the transition and for her continued service to NASA. «As Marshall continues its critical role in Artemis and takes on new challenges in advanced propulsion, nuclear power, and the systems that will carry us deeper into the solar system, Steve brings the experience, technical judgment, and mission focus needed to lead the center into that next chapter,» he said.
Established in 1960, Marshall has played a central role in American space exploration for more than six decades, from developing the Saturn rockets that carried astronauts to the Moon during Apollo to advancing the propulsion systems, infrastructure, and technologies supporting the next era of human spaceflight.
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