Compiled from reports by 256 Today and ExecutiveGov. See the original articles linked below.
NASA has chosen Stephen Cash, a longtime agency engineer who left in 2016, to run the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. 256 Today, in a report dated October 19, 2026, said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman named Cash as director with the appointment taking effect on that date. ExecutiveGov, which described the move as NASA rehiring a former employee, carried the same news.
Who Cash replaces
Both outlets report that Cash takes over from Rae Ann Meyer, who has been acting director of the center since September 2025. According to 256 Today and ExecutiveGov, Meyer goes back to her position as deputy center director.
Career background
256 Today reported that Cash spent 34 years at NASA, beginning at Marshall in 1982, before retiring in 2016. ExecutiveGov adds that he headed the center's Space Shuttle Propulsion Office and directed its safety and mission assurance organization from 2011 until his retirement. Both outlets say he later became vice president of advanced space systems at Axient, and that the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame inducted him in 2024.
Statements
Both outlets quote Isaacman as calling Cash a "Marshall legend". ExecutiveGov reported that Isaacman said Cash's technical judgment would guide the center's work on the Artemis lunar program and on advanced propulsion and nuclear power. 256 Today quoted Cash as saying it was a profound honor to be back home at Marshall.
ExecutiveGov also cited Amit Kshatriya, NASA's chief engineer and associate administrator, who said Cash regards the workforce as the center's greatest strength and values hands-on design, building and testing.
About the center
ExecutiveGov reported that Cash will oversee more than 5,000 civil servants and contractors. It said Marshall built the Saturn rockets used in the Apollo program, is developing the Space Launch System rocket, and manages the Human Landing System Program. 256 Today likewise described the center as central to Artemis, including the Space Launch System and the landing system program, and noted its involvement in advanced propulsion, nuclear power and future Mars missions.
ExecutiveGov further noted that the center has supported commercial propulsion work, including helping Venus Aerospace mature a rotating detonation rocket engine that Lockheed Martin agreed to evaluate in July.
Sources
- NASA names Stephen Cash director of Marshall Space Flight Center (256 Today, 2026-10-19)
- NASA Rehires Stephen Cash to Lead Marshall (ExecutiveGov, 2026-10-19)
This article was compiled with AI assistance from the reports listed above and reviewed by GMA before publishing.