Kenneth R. Human
Ken Human served as a NASA attorney for a major part of his career. He also served as the NASA Chief Counsel of Stennis Space Center, as an executive with the International Space Station (ISS) Program, and as a NASA Associate Center Director. He was the Director of Legal Operations at NASA Headquarters when he retired at the end of 2023. He is now the Vice-President of Human Space Solutions, LLC, a woman-owned small business consulting firm that focuses on improving business efficiency and legal operations.
As the Associate Director of Stennis Space Center (SSC), he served as a member of the leadership staff, directing a large multi-disciplinary NASA/contractor team and overseeing a multi-billion-dollar rocket test facility. He led efforts to preserve and promote institutional health and excellence during a period when the facility transitioned from just Government testing to also accommodate testing for the growing commercial space industry.
Earlier in his career with NASA, Mr. Human worked at Johnson Space Flight Center in the ISS Program where he had responsibility for relationships with the international partners, including the Russian, Japanese, Canadian, and European space agencies. He provided executive-level leadership and direction, defining and implementing agency policy related to international collaboration and partnerships.
He began his career with NASA as an attorney at SSC and later served as Chief Counsel there. During this period, he provided comprehensive legal counsel to the director, senior staff, and employees on legal issues and policy such as the development of innovative industry agreements and business systems to accommodate other resident Federal, state and commercial partners.
In 2018, Mr. Human spearheaded a project for Goddard Space Flight Center, as a special assistant to the Center Director, and led an interdisciplinary executive team which developed a plan to improve the relationship with its component installations. In 2019 he was employed as a program manager at NASA Headquarters and was in charge of the successful transformation of the NASA Office of General Counsel from a center-based model to a national legal enterprise.
He graduated from George Washington University with a BA degree in English Literature and received a Juris Doctor degree from University of New Hampshire Law School. He is a member of the bar in Virginia, Louisiana and Texas. He is a member of the ABA, FBA and the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium.
Mr. Human has been awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1988), NASA Leadership Medal (2017), and Distinguished Service Medal (2018).