According to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson’s statement, “The Moon to Mars Program Office will help prepare NASA to carry out our bold missions to the Moon and land the first humans on Mars. The golden age of exploration is happening right now, and this new office will help ensure that NASA successfully establishes a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity’s next giant leap to the Red Planet.” Further, the program will include sessions such as hardware development, mission integration, and risk management. It will rely on Artemis missions to the Moon to lead the way in a new era of scientific discovery, and to prepare for eventual human missions to Mars.
Mr Kshatriya’s career in the space program began in 2003, where he worked as a software engineer, robotics engineer, and spacecraft operator, mainly specializing in the robotic assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). As the head of the Moon to Mars program, he will be responsible for overseeing the planning and implementation of human missions to the Moon and Mars. Mr Kshatriya was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Previously, Mr Kshatriya worked with Common Exploration Systems Development as acting deputy associate administrator, where he provided leadership and integration across several of the programs that now come under the new office. Further, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, and also holds a Master of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin.
