Denny Kross Named Director of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA KSC

NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Jim Kennedy announced this week that Denny A. Kross has been named the director of the Safety and Mission Assurance organization at KSC.

Kross will lead the nearly 250 professionals who provide an independent review and oversight to the programs at KSC that ensure mission success is accomplished and a safe workplace is achieved.

“I have the utmost confidence in Denny’s leadership abilities and am pleased he will lead our safety organization at the Center,” said Kennedy. “This is a pivotal position on the management team, and Denny’s tremendous technical background in the Shuttle program, coupled with his extensive aerospace experience within NASA, are welcome additions.” Prior to his selection, Kross served as Space Shuttle deputy program manager at KSC since April 2004, where he was responsible for all aspects of Space Shuttle preparation, launch and return of the orbiter to KSC following flight.

“Denny is a leader, a proven program manager and a seasoned engineer with many years of experience with human space flight programs,” said Bryan O’Connor, chief of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters, Washington. “We welcome him as our newest Safety and Mission Assurance director.”

Kross began his NASA career in 1967 as a structural dynamics engineer at the Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Over the last 30 years, Kross has served in numerous roles in both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) Programs at NASA Headquarters, Johnson Space Center, Marshall and Kennedy.

During the past 10 years, Kross held critical positions such as manager, Engineering Systems Department; manager, International Space Station Vehicle Office; technical lead, ISS; and Level II Space Station chief engineer.

Kross is the recipient of many distinguished NASA awards, including the Meritorious Executive Award, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, Space Flight Honoree Award, Exceptional Engineering Achievement and the Silver Snoopy Award.

Formerly of Detroit, Mich., Kross holds a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science degree in engineering mechanics from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.