Robert Lightfoot has been named Space's Executive Vice President

Lockheed Martin announced today that Robert Lightfoot will be the new executive vice president of the company's Space business area. The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2022.

Lightfoot, currently the vice president of Operations for Lockheed Martin Space, spent 29 years at NASA in several critical leadership roles to support space operations, exploration and science missions, including as the agency's acting administrator; director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and director of Propulsion Test at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. He succeeds Rick Ambrose, who will retire March 1, 2022 after more than 20 years of service to the company. Ambrose will serve as a strategic advisor as part of a smooth and disciplined transition process.

"Robert is a mission-oriented leader with the right combination of experience to take our Space business to its next heights. He is known for exceptional people leadership, and I look forward to what he will bring to not only Space, but also the broader aerospace and defense industry," said Lockheed Martin Chief Operating Officer Frank St. John.

"I'm honored to lead Lockheed Martin Space and work with our customers to strengthen their missions of security, exploration and discovery through innovation and partnership," said Lightfoot.