Parsons Makes Low-Key Exit Today

Bill Parsons today ends a nearly two-year tenure as Kennedy Space Center's director in low-key fashion.

Parsons did not want a day of fanfare, speeches and ceremony, officials say.

Instead, employees are invited to say goodbye this afternoon at an informal event at Kars Park, located off State Road 3 on space center property.

Parsons, 51, announced Sept. 30 he had accepted a position with Lockheed Martin Mission Services, where he'll be vice president and program manager for strategic space initiatives.

Since joining NASA in 1990, Parsons also served as director of Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, launch site support manager, manager of the Space Station Hardware Integration Office, chief of operations of the Propulsion Test Directorate, Space Shuttle Program manager and deputy director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

He'll be replaced Monday by former astronaut Bob Cabana, 59, who leaves his post as Stennis director.

Cabana, a veteran of four shuttle flights who this year was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of fame, recently described his management style as one emphasizing open communication and "taking care of the people that work for you."

Cabana becomes Kennedy's 10th center director since 1961.

Here's the center director's official job description from NASA's Web site: Kennedy Space Center's strategic core business is to provide space systems processes, test and launch techniques, and develop associated technologies that assist NASA in advancing space exploration and commerce. In leading KSC to success, the Center Director and executive staff set, communicate, and deploy Agency/Enterprise/KSC values and performance expectations; allocate resources and evaluate performance; and align KSC to meet Agency, Enterprise, and future customer expectations.

IMAGE NOTE: Click on NASA's official portrait of Parsons to enlarge it. Credit: NASA/KSC.