NASA’s Scott Tingle Named Chief Astronaut at Johnson Space Center
NASA has appointed astronaut Scott Tingle as the new chief of the Astronaut Office at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. This appointment took effect on November 10. Tingle is a highly experienced spaceflight veteran and a former captain in the United States Navy. Over his career, he has accumulated more than 4,500 flight hours across 51 different types of aircraft. He also served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
In his role as chief astronaut, Scott Tingle will oversee the management of astronaut resources and operations. He will play a key role in developing astronaut flight crew operations and will be responsible for assigning crews to upcoming human spaceflight missions. This includes important missions under NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon.
Responsibilities and Background of NASA’s Scott Tingle
As chief of the Astronaut Office, Tingle’s duties are critical to the success of NASA’s human spaceflight efforts. He will manage the astronaut corps and ensure that crew assignments align with mission goals. His leadership will help prepare astronauts for future missions, including those that will explore beyond low Earth orbit.
Scott Tingle hails from Randolph, Massachusetts. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southeastern Massachusetts University and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in Indiana. Tingle’s extensive technical and operational experience makes him well suited for this leadership role.
Before joining NASA, Tingle worked at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California. There, he supported the propulsion department as a technical staff member. He also had a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy, where he was commissioned as an officer in 1991 and retired with the rank of captain.
Scott Tingle’s Spaceflight Experience and Leadership Transition
Tingle’s most recent spaceflight was as a flight engineer on the ISS during Expedition 54/55. He spent over six months in orbit, serving as the United States Operational Segment lead. The mission launched on December 17, 2017, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz spacecraft and concluded with a landing on June 3, 2018. Since returning to Earth, Tingle has supported the Astronaut Office in various capacities, including mission support, technical leadership, and crew readiness.
He succeeds NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, who served as chief of the Astronaut Office since February 2023. Acaba has moved to the Johnson Space Center director’s staff, where he provides technical advice on mission planning and strategy. In this new role, Acaba helps align the center’s efforts with NASA’s strategic plan and human spaceflight priorities. He also supports STEM workforce development and fosters collaboration with commercial space companies, academic institutions, and government partners as NASA advances exploration beyond low Earth orbit.
Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche congratulated Scott Tingle on his new leadership role. She also expressed gratitude to Joe Acaba for his dedicated service in preparing the astronaut corps for challenging missions and contributing to the development of technologies and procedures that enhance space travel safety.
For more information about the International Space Station, visit NASA’s official page at https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station.
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Source: original article.