NASA Promotes Long‑Time Contractor Kristie Foster to Civil Servant at Stennis Space Center

Kristie Foster, a quality engineer who had worked as a contractor at NASA’s Stennis Space Center since 2008, was officially hired as a civil servant on September 28, 2026. The move follows an agency directive to strengthen core technical competencies in the civil service workforce. Foster’s responsibilities include quality assurance and engineering at the High Pressure Gas and Industrial Water Facilities, key components of propulsion testing for missions such as Artemis III and the New Glenn rocket’s second‑stage hot‑fire test. Her promotion preserves institutional knowledge and supports NASA’s goal of returning astronauts to the Moon and establishing a lunar base. Foster’s career path—from local community college studies to a full‑time NASA role—highlights the agency’s commitment to nurturing talent from the ground up.