Will Take NASA Facility From Shuttles To Orion

NASA's Florida Kennedy Space Center is under new leadership, as William W. Parsons became the facility's ninth director Thursday, succeeding James W. Kennedy, who retired from the agency.

Parsons' prior experience as both a program manager and a center director, combined with broad knowledge of the NASA human spaceflight community, makes him the right person "to take Kennedy Space Center through the end of the shuttle era and into the era of lunar exploration," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin.

Griffin named Parsons as Kennedy's successor back in September, having served as the center's deputy director since February. Parsons joined NASA back in 1990, and has held numerous roles at several NASA's facilities.

"It is a tremendous privilege to follow in the footsteps of extraordinary people who have held the position of director of the Kennedy Space Center," said Parsons.

Following the Columbia tragedy, Parsons led NASA's Return to Flight activities as Space Shuttle Program manager, and played a major role in the success of the 2005 Discovery STS-114 mission.

"I look forward to the future and being a part of completing the International Space Station and launching the vehicles that will take us back to the moon," said Parsons.

Parsons holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Mississippi, Oxford, and a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Central Florida, Orlando.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/kennedy, www.ssc.nasa.gov/about/history/personalities/parsons.html