Dr. J. Wayne Littles
Eighth Center Director, Feb. 3, 1996-Jan. 1998

Before being named Director of the Marshall Center, Dr. J. Wayne Littles, qualified to provide the leadership necessary to meet that challenge, served as NASA Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight.

As the head of the Office of Space Flight, Littles directed both the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs for NASA. During his tenure, NASA restructured the Space Station program, streamlined the management of the program by putting it under a single prime contractor, and led discussions with the Russian Space Agency concerning their participation and contributions to the International Space Station.

Littles led the Space Shuttle program through an extensive redefinition of requirements and put in place a restructured program which achieved significant cost savings while maintaining safety as the highest priority. Littles also led an effort to consolidate Shuttle operations under a single prime contractor.

Littles returned to Marshall where he began his federal career in 1967 as an engineer in the former Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Directorate. Littles spent 24 years at Marshall in positions of increasing responsibility, eventually becoming the Deputy Director in July 1989.

He left Marshall in January 1994 when he was named as the Agency's Chief Engineer where he oversaw the technical readiness and execution of all NASA programs. He was named to the post of Associate Administrator for Space Flight in November 1994.