Christina Koch Takes a NASA Management Post and Loses Her Spaceflight Eligibility

Christina Koch served as a crew member on NASA's Artemis II mission in 2026. On Oct. 13, the agency announced she will serve next as its acting deputy chief engineer. The appointment carries a trade that is easy to miss: with it, Koch transitions to management astronaut status and is no longer eligible for future spaceflight assignments. Astronaut, it turns out, is a job with a management track — and stepping onto it removes the flight eligibility that makes the title famous.