Tournear named permanent SDA director

The Pentagon has selected acting Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear to serve in the role in a permanent capacity.

Tournear has been the agency's acting director since July when Fred Kennedy resigned the post after reported disagreements with Under Secretary for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin.

Prior to his work with SDA, Tournear most recently served as the assistant director for space within Griffin’s office. He also led Harris Space and Intelligence's research and development efforts, served as senior scientist for space activities and technologies at the office of smart collection within the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency and worked as a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The SDA's vision is to unify and coordinate the Defense Department's space architecture, and as director of the agency, Tournear will be the orchestrator of that work.