After serving as the acting director of the Space Development Agency (SDA) since last September, Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo was named director of the agency effective May 11, SDA said on Tuesday.
Michael Eppolito, who has been acting deputy director and chief program officer of the agency, will become deputy director.
Sandhoo was also named as the Space Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) for Missile Warning and Tracking (MWT), effective May 11. Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, commander of Space Force’s Space Systems Command, in April said Sandhoo would be the PAE for MWT.
As part of Defense Department acquisition efforts, the military services are standing up PAEs to empower acquisition executives with more authority to spend program funding flexibly and give them more ownership over capability delivery.
“GP brings a wealth of experience to this position and is already jumping into his new program acquisition executive responsibilities,” Thomas Ainsworth, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, said in a statement. “Our guiding principle is to provide every PAE with the things they need to succeed including the authority, the resources, and the talent to execute their mission.”
