Dr. Ellen Ochoa, director of Johnson Space Center, has named Mark S. Geyer as deputy director of the center. Geyer will transitioned to the position in mid-September.

Geyer has served as Orion Program Manager since 2007 and will succeed Kirk A. Shireman, who was recently named the International Space Station (ISS) Program Manager, as deputy center director.

"Mark has been an outstanding asset to the Johnson Space Center and the agency as Orion Program manager. With the success of Orion's first flight last December and hardware being manufactured for Orion's next mission, this is a great time to have Mark apply his talents in a new center role that touches all human spaceflight efforts," said JSC Director Ellen Ochoa.

Geyer earned a master's degree and Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from Purdue University. He began his career with NASA in 1990 as a systems engineer in the Lunar and Mars Exploration Office and was quickly recognized for his leadership capabilities. During the next 25 years, Mark moved into progressively more responsible leadership roles, including as manager of the International Space Station Integration Office, ISS Mission Management Team chair and the Constellation deputy program manager.

Under Geyer's leadership, Orion, NASA's next-generation spacecraft that will send astronauts to deep space destinations, was successfully flown in space for the first time. The 2014 flight sent the spacecraft 3,600 miles in altitude to test many of Orion's elements most critical to safety. Geyer positioned the program to be poised for future missions atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket with crew.

For more information, please go to the JSC page.