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Janet Petro
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<p>Janet E. Petro is an American <a href="/facts/Engineer/ph4TnHnG">engineer</a> and <a href="/facts/Civil_servant/2fqVlLtB">civil servant</a> currently serving as the acting <a href="/facts/Administrator_of_NASA/IltN5emr">Administrator of NASA</a> and the 11th director of the agency’s <a href="/facts/Kennedy_Space_Center/zmwszuPr">Kennedy Space Center</a> (KSC). When she was appointed KSC director on June 30, 2021, by then-NASA Administrator <a href="/facts/Bill_Nelson/uWhUWFUA">Bill Nelson</a>, Petro made history as the first woman to hold the position. She later assumed the role of acting administrator on January 20, 2025, following her appointment by President <a href="/facts/Donald_Trump/pqqKY21P">Donald Trump</a>, becoming the first woman to hold that role as well. </p>