NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included from left to right, NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, right, speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included from left to right, NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, second from left, speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included from left to right, NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

W. Russ DeLoach, NASA’s chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission with NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov onboard, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in SpaceX’s Launch and Landing Control Center in HangerX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov launched at 3:27 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

W. Russ DeLoach, NASA’s chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission with NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov onboard, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in SpaceX’s Launch and Landing Control Center in HangerX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the first crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov launched at 3:27 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

W. Russ DeLoach, NASA's Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, monitors the countdown of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission with NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov onboard, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in the control center of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission is the eleventh crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Cardman, Fincke, Yui, Platonov launched at 11:43 a.m. EDT, from Launch Complex 39A at the NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

W. Russ DeLoach, NASA's Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, monitors the countdown of a launch attempt of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission with NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov onboard, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in the control center of SpaceX’s HangarX at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission is the eleventh crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Today’s launch of Cardman, Fincke, Yui, Platonov was scrubbed due to weather and is now scheduled for 11:43 a.m. EDT on Friday, August 1, from Launch Complex 39A at the NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails, introduces the panel during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Russ DeLoach, director of Safety and Mission Assurance, speaks to Kennedy Space Center employees about plans for the coming year. The event took place in the Lunar Theater at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s Apollo Saturn V Center. The year will be highlighted with NASA's partners preparing test flights for crewed missions to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program and six launches by the Launch Services Program. Exploration Ground Systems will be completing facilities to support the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. Exploration Research and Technology Programs will continue to provide supplies to the space station launched as part of the Commercial Resupply Services effort.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks during the 2022 NASA Safety Stand-Down panel discussion, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The event followed the annual visit to Arlington National Cemetery where NASA leadership and family members and/or friends of the astronauts commemorate NASA’s Day of Remembrance and the sacrifices made to further exploration. Panelists included NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Chief Russ DeLoach, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

The team that tested the umbilical lines and accessories that will connect from the mobile launcher to NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 hold a banner signing event July 24, 2018, to mark completion of testing at the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Speaking at the event is Shawn Quinn, far right, director of Engineering. Next to him, from left, are Scott Colloredo, deputy director of Engineering; Russ Deloach, director of Safety and Mission Assurance; and Andy Allen, program manager for Jacobs TOSC. A total of 21 umbilicals and launch accessories were tested on various simulators at the LETF before they were transferred to the mobile launcher for installation.

The team that tested the umbilical lines and accessories that will connect from the mobile launcher to NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 hold a banner signing event July 24, 2018, to mark completion of testing at the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Speaking at the event is Scott Colloredo, far right, deputy director of Engineering. Next to him, from left, are Shawn Quinn, director of Engineering. Russ Deloach, director of Safety and Mission Assurance; and Andy Allen, program manager for Jacobs TOSC. A total of 21 umbilicals and launch accessories were tested on various simulators at the LETF before they were transferred to the mobile launcher for installation.

The team that tested the umbilical lines and accessories that will connect from the mobile launcher to NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 hold a banner signing event July 24, 2018, to mark completion of testing at the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Speaking at the event is Andy Allen, far right, program manager for Jacobs TOSC. Next to him, from left, are Shawn Quinn, director of Engineering; Scott Colloredo, deputy director of Engineering; and Russ Deloach, director of Safety and Mission Assurance. A total of 21 umbilicals and launch accessories were tested on various simulators at the LETF before they were transferred to the mobile launcher for installation.

W. Russ DeLoach, chief of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA, participates in a Flight Readiness Review for the agency’s Crew-5 mission at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 26, 2022, to confirm the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are ready for launch. In the background and to the left is Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, and to the right is NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. Crew-5 is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. This will be the fifth crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human transportation system and its sixth flight with astronauts, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station.

The team that tested the umbilical lines and accessories that will connect from the mobile launcher to NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Exploration Mission-1 hold a banner signing event July 24, 2018, to mark completion of testing at the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Speaking at the event is Andy Allen, far right, program manager for Jacobs TOSC. Next to him, from left, are Shawn Quinn, director of Engineering; Scott Colloredo, deputy director of Engineering; and Russ Deloach, director of Safety and Mission Assurance. A total of 21 umbilicals and launch accessories were tested on various simulators at the LETF before they were transferred to the mobile launcher for installation.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the Recovery Management Team at KSC are at work in the Operations Support Building. They are part of the investigation into the accident that claimed orbiter Columbia and her crew of seven on Feb. 1, 2003, over East Texas as they returned to Earth after a 16-day research mission. Seated around the table (clockwise from far left) are Chris Hasselbring, Landing Operations, USA (co-chair of the Response Management Team); Don Maxwell, Safety, United Space Alliance (USA); Russ DeLoach, chief, Shuttle Mission Assurance Branch, NASA; George Jacobs, Shuttle Engineering; Jeff Campbell, Shuttle Engineering; Denny Gagen, Landing Recovery Manager (second co-chair of the team); and Dave Rainer, Launch and Landing Operations. The team is coordinating KSC technical support and assets to the Mishap Investigation Team in Barksdale, La., and providing support for the Recovery teams in Los Angeles, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In addition, the team is following up on local leads pertaining to potential debris in the KSC area. .

Senior leaders from around NASA receive a familiarization tour by the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team on Oct. 29, 2018, as they prepare for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7) aboard a U.S. Navy ship. From left, Kennedy Space Center's Russ Deloach, Shawn Quinn and Scott Colloredo learn more about how the front porch will be used to help pull crew out of Orion after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean. EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the Recovery Management Team at KSC are at work in the Operations Support Building. They are part of the investigation into the accident that claimed orbiter Columbia and her crew of seven on Feb. 1, 2003, over East Texas as they returned to Earth after a 16-day research mission. From left around the table are Don Maxwell, Safety, United Space Alliance (USA); Russ DeLoach, chief, Shuttle Mission Assurance Branch, NASA; George Jacobs, Shuttle Engineering; Jeff Campbell, Shuttle Engineering; Dave Rainer, Launch and Landing Operations; and the two co-chairs of the Response Management Team, Denny Gagen, Landing Recovery Manager, and Chris Hasselbring, Landing Operations, USA. The team is coordinating KSC technical support and assets to the Mishap Investigation Team in Barksdale, La., and providing support for the Recovery teams in Los Angeles, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In addition, the team is following up on local leads pertaining to potential debris in the KSC area. .

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Two members of the Recovery Management Team at KSC are at work in the Operations Support Building. At left is Don Maxwell, Safety, United Space Alliance, and at right is Larry Ulmer, Safety, NASA. They are part of the investigation into the accident that claimed orbiter Columbia and her crew of seven on Feb. 1, 2003, over East Texas as they returned to Earth after a 16-day research mission. Other team members are Russ DeLoach, chief, Shuttle Mission Assurance Branch, NASA; George Jacobs, Shuttle Engineering; Jeff Campbell, Shuttle Engineering; Dave Rainer, Launch and Landing Operations; and the two co-chairs of the Response Management Team, Denny Gagen, Landing Recovery Manager, and Chris Hasselbring, Landing Operations, USA. The team is coordinating KSC technical support and assets to the Mishap Investigation Team in Barksdale, La., and providing support for the Recovery teams in Los Angeles, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In addition, the team is following up on local leads pertaining to potential debris in the KSC area. .

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Don Maxwell, Safety, United Space Alliance, checks a map of Texas during a meeting of the Recovery Management Team at KSC. The team is part of the investigation into the accident that claimed orbiter Columbia and her crew of seven on Feb. 1, 2003, over East Texas as they returned to Earth after a 16-day research mission. Other team members are Russ DeLoach, chief, Shuttle Mission Assurance Branch, NASA; George Jacobs, Shuttle Engineering; Jeff Campbell, Shuttle Engineering; Dave Rainer, Launch and Landing Operations; the two co-chairs of the Response Management Team, Denny Gagen, Landing Recovery Manager, Chris Hasselbring, Landing Operations, USA; and Larry Ulmer, Safety, NASA. The team is coordinating KSC technical support and assets to the Mishap Investigation Team in Barksdale, La., and providing support for the Recovery teams in Los Angeles, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In addition, the team is following up on local leads pertaining to potential debris in the KSC area. .