Janet Petro's Historic Rise: From NASA Acting Administrator to Shaping Space Exploration's Future

Janet Petro has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first woman to serve as both the acting Administrator of NASA and the director of the Kennedy Space Center. Appointed acting NASA Administrator on January 20, Petro's career is marked by significant contributions to the nation's space program. Her early career included service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army's Aviation Branch, followed by roles at Science Applications International Corporation and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace before joining NASA. As Deputy Director of Kennedy Space Center, Petro spearheaded the transition of the facility into a multi-user spaceport. Her tenure has also involved implementing policy changes, including the elimination of NASA's Diversity and Inclusion office. More recently, Michael Altenhofen from SpaceX was appointed as a senior advisor. Rose Ferreira, a student at Arizona State University, contributed to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope project during her internship at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Her work included supporting live news interviews and multimedia tasks for NASA's Spanish-language communications program. Ferreira's journey to NASA was marked by challenges, including homelessness and a cancer diagnosis. She is now pursuing a degree in planetary science and astronomy and dreams of becoming an astronaut. Elizabeth M. Jarrell, the Wide Field Instrument scientist for the Roman Space Telescope and the operations project scientist for NASA's Swift Observatory, plays a crucial role in ensuring that these missions meet their science requirements. Jarrell's research focuses on low-mass stars and their exoplanets, and she emphasizes the importance of collaboration and communication in astrophysics. Her advice to aspiring scientists includes trusting their ideas, accepting constructive criticism, and building a strong community.