Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
NASA has appointed Brian Hughes as senior director of launch operations, based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He will lead enterprise-level launch operations and provide strategic direction for NASA's launch infrastructure, reporting to NASA Headquarters in Washington and overseeing operations at both Kennedy and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
In this role, Hughes will collaborate with government, industry, and local leaders to improve coordination among stakeholders at NASA's spaceports. His leadership is intended to enable a higher launch cadence and support the President's National Space Policy to maintain U.S. leadership in space.
Hughes previously served as NASA's chief of staff, working on agency-wide priorities and decision-making. Before returning to NASA, he was the deputy national security advisor for Strategic Communications at the White House. His experience also includes roles as chief administrative officer for Jacksonville, overseeing public safety, infrastructure, and emergency management, and as a KC-135 aircrew veteran during the Gulf War.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised Hughes for his operational expertise and strategic leadership, emphasizing his ability to shape NASA's launch operations as the agency expands its civil, commercial, and national security launch activities.
More details about NASA's missions are available on the agency's official website.