The U.S. space agency has named Thomas Irvine as the deputy associate administrator for its Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.

Irvine has been the director of the Mission Support Office in the directorate since May 2005. In his new position, he will assist Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research Jaiwon Shin with planning, management and development of NASA's aeronautics research activities.

Irvine previously served as deputy director of the Aeronautics Test Program at NASA from 1999 to 2004 and also served as chief of the Facility Management and Planning Office at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

During his 26 years with the space agency he has held a variety of program management and research engineering positions in technical services, space operations and aeronautics, NASA said.