Retired Air Force Gen. Bruce Carlson was named director of the National Reconnaissance Office.
The Aerospace Industries Association praised the move as “an important step in establishing the leadership our nation needs to continue our preeminence in space.”
The group noted that his “appointment comes at a very important time. There are increasing demands on national security space systems and many critical issues facing today’s national security space industrial base.”
Carlson “brings a wealth of experience to the position, including considerable expertise in defense acquisition. We are looking forward to working with him to address the challenges facing space systems acquisition, a shrinking workforce and other issues important to maintaining U.S. leadership in space.”