Daniel R. Mulville has been appointed NASA's associate deputy administrator effective January 1, the agency announced.

Mulville, currently NASA's chief engineer, replaces John R. Dailey, who is leaving NASA to become director of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum starting January.

In the absence of a deputy administrator, the associate deputy administrator serves as NASA's second in command. (In recent years, NASA has not had a deputy administrator, a position that requires Senate confirmation.) As such, the associate deputy administrator has broad responsibilities for NASA's day-to-day operations and strategic planning.

As chief engineer, Mulville has been responsible for reviewing the technical readiness of all NASA programs. He has been awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, among other decorations.