NASA appoints astronaut Christina Koch as acting deputy chief engineer

NASA engineer and astronaut Christina Koch will begin serving as the agency's acting deputy chief engineer on Sunday, November 1, NASA News reported. She will succeed Katherine Van Hooser, who is stepping down after more than 35 years of service to the space agency on Wednesday, October 21. [1][2]

In her new position, Koch will assist in leading the engineering community at NASA, supporting mission readiness, technical oversight, and engineering standards across various programs and projects, according to NASA News. [1]

Koch completed a mission to the International Space Station in 2019 and 2020, where she participated in the first all female spacewalk and set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. She also flew on the uncrewed or crewed Artemis II lunar flyby mission in April 2026, becoming the only woman to travel around the Moon and beyond low Earth orbit. Across her spaceflight career, she has accumulated 338 days in space, as FTMQ Space reported earlier. [3][5]

Koch previously participated in NASA's national Inspiration Tour, which included an appearance at a Philadelphia Eagles American football game in October 2026, as FTMQ Space reported earlier. [5]