Rob Strain, head of the space department at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, will become the new Goddard Space Flight Center director, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced.

Strain will assume his post Aug. 4.

Earlier, Strain held various posts, including work with space contractors.

"My association with Rob Strain spans years of shared experiences in both industry and at the Applied Physics Laboratory," Griffin said. "He is one of the finest managers I know, and complements those talents with equally impressive people skills and an unbending sense of personal integrity. I am truly looking forward to his addition to a superbly talented NASA management team."

Strain previously served as associate department head and assistant department head for operations at the Applied Physics Lab space division.

Earlier in his career, Strain held executive positions with Axiom Corp., Orbital Sciences Corp. [ORB] and Fairchild Space and Defense Co.