NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has named Bradley Flick director of the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, effective immediately. The administrator also has named Dave Mitchell to fill the role as acting director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, effective Jan. 1.
Flick has served as the acting director of Armstrong since July.
“Brad is a compassionate leader with a long career in revolutionizing air transportation, developing sustainable aviation, and nurturing a diverse and inclusive workforce,” Nelson said. “Under Brad’s leadership, NASA Armstrong will continue to innovate and keep America at the forefront of aviation and aerospace advancements.”
At Armstrong, Flick will oversee a center that continues to advance and secure America’s leadership in aeronautics, Earth and space science, and aerospace technology that will revolutionize aviation, as well as the successful first flights of the agency’s first all-electric experimental aircraft, and the quiet supersonic aircraft.
“I’m humbled to be considered worthy of this position and honored to be selected,” Flick shared. “We’re riding on the shoulders of legendary flight researchers and the discoveries they made here over the last 75 years. Our missions will continue to change and evolve, but there are still exciting opportunities for discovery through flight. I look forward to leading the team in making those discoveries.”
Mitchell currently serves as NASA’s chief program management officer. Prior to assuming his role as NASA’s top program manager, Mitchell served at Goddard for more than 34 years in a multitude of programmatic and leadership roles.
“I’ve come to know Dave as a stand-up leader with a fount of NASA knowledge,” Nelson said. “He will be all-in at Goddard to ensure a seamless transition as we work to not only fill the center director position permanently, but also the position of associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, which is so closely intertwined with Goddard’s work.”