Jacob L. Keaton
Director of International Space Station for Space Operations (acting)
Jacob Keaton is the acting director of the International Space Station within NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington.
In this role, Keaton leads agency-level strategy, policy, integration, and stakeholder engagement for the space station. His responsibilities include overseeing use of the station for research and technology demonstrations, including work aboard the orbital complex supporting NASA’s Artemis program. He also guides efforts to maintain a sustained U.S. presence in low Earth orbit by enabling a long-term commercial economy there. In addition, he serves as NASA’s liaison to the International Space Station National Laboratory.
Keaton previously served as the senior policy adviser for NASA’s International Space Station Division, where he oversaw legislative, interagency and international affairs related to the space station in coordination with U.S. government stakeholders, foreign officials and commercial partners. He led agency-wide coordination of NASA’s space station deorbit plan, development of the 2022 International Space Station transition report, and coordinated the announcement of the United States’ extension of station operations to 2030. In this role, he also worked closely with Congress, the National Space Council, National Security Council, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy and NASA’s international partners.
He also served as Space Operations chief of staff from September 2023 to December 2024 and as a congressional fellow with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation from May 2018 to April 2019, in both the 115th and 116th Congress.
Keaton began his career in 2002 at NASA Headquarters. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and affairs from The George Washington University and a master’s degree in public administration and government from Johns Hopkins University. He has earned several personal and group awards throughout his career, including NASA’s Silver Snoopy Award, an ExceptionalService Medal, and a Distinguished Achievement Award.