NASA today announced the selection of William (Bill) W.
Parsons as the new manager for the Space Shuttle Program.
Parsons, the director of the NASA John C. Stennis Space
Center (SSC) in south Mississippi, succeeds Ronald D.
Dittemore, who announced his resignation April 23.
“Bill is a talented leader, motivator, and he’s deeply
devoted to the success of the Space Shuttle program,” said
William F. Readdy, Associate Administrator of Space Flight
at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “His management,
technical experience, and dedication to safety are vital as
we move forward and prepare to start flying again.”
Parsons has served as Center Director since August 2002. He
was first assigned to SSC in 1997 as the Chief of Operations
of the Propulsion Test Directorate. Parsons relocated to
NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston to become the
Director of the Center Operations Directorate, and he later
served as the Deputy Director of JSC. He returned to SSC in
2001, and he served as Director of the Center Operations and
Support Directorate.
“I welcome the opportunity to work with Bill. He knows the
space flight family and he knows the Space Shuttle program,”
said Michael C. Kostelnik, Deputy Administrator for the
International Space Station and Space Shuttle programs at
Headquarters in Washington. “NASA is about the people who
fly, fix, maintain and design our vehicles, and I know we’ve
found a terrific leader to help guide the team through this
difficult time.”
“This is a critical position for the agency as we begin to
focus our Return to Flight efforts in the wake of the
Columbia tragedy,” said NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe.
“The Space Shuttle Program, the entire space flight
community, and the nation will be served by Bill’s great
leadership. He will be missed by our colleagues at Stennis,
but the benefits to all the NASA family will be tremendous.”
Parsons began his career in the United States Marine Corps
as an Infantry Officer, then worked as a manufacturing
engineer and later as an aerospace engineer at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
In 1990, Parsons joined the NASA team at Kennedy Space
Center (KSC) as a Launch Site Support Manager in the Shuttle
Operations Directorate, worked as an Executive Management
Intern, and later as the Shuttle Flow Director of the
Shuttle Operations Directorate at KSC. In 1996, he became
Manager of the Space Station Hardware Integration Office at
KSC.
“From the first time I saw a Space Shuttle launch, I knew I
wanted to be a part of NASA and America’s space exploration
efforts,” said Parsons. “This is a challenging time for the
program, but the people of NASA have a long, successful
history of overcoming adversity. I’m proud to be a part of
the Return to Flight effort and look forward to getting the
Space Shuttle safely flying again.”
Parsons has received numerous honors, including NASA’s
Exceptional Service Medal; the National Intelligence Medal
of Achievement; the Silver Snoopy, awarded by astronauts for
outstanding performance in flight safety and mission
success; the Center Directors’ Commendation; and the
Commandants Certificate of Commendation from the United
States Marine Corps.
He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a
Bachelor of Engineering degree. He also holds a Master of
Science degree in Engineering Management from the University
of Central Florida.
Stennis Deputy Director Michael Rudolphi will serve as
interim director until a permanent successor is named.
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