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President Trump has nominated Representative Jim Bridenstine as NASA's next administrator, to replace the acting administrator Robert M. Lightfoot:
Representative Jim Bridenstine, Republican of Oklahoma, will be nominated by President Trump to serve as NASA's next administrator, the White House said on Friday night.
Mr. Bridenstine, a strong advocate for drawing private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin more deeply into NASA's exploration of space, had been rumored to be the leading candidate for the job, but months passed without an announcement. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Bridenstine, 42, would be the first elected official to hold that job.
[...] Although NASA has little presence in Oklahoma, Mr. Bridenstine, a former Navy Reserve pilot who is now in his third term in the House [of] Representatives, has long had an interest in space. Before being elected to Congress in 2012, he was executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium from 2008 to 2010.
[...] Mr. Bridenstine has supported a return to the moon, a departure from the Obama administration's focus on sending astronauts to Mars in coming decades.
Florida's Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson blasted the choice. Nelson said that "The head of NASA ought to be a space professional, not a politician."
NASA statement. NASA Watch analysis.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 05 2017, @05:14AM
I think this is a good example of the issue. Bolden seemed to be very content to play ball. At some point, you need individuals that will take a stand. When the president tells you the goal of the space agency is:
- Inspiring kids
- International relations
- Muslim outreach
I think that's the point you take a stand. Obama was charming and Bolden probably felt like he'd need the president's support to achieve what he wanted to accomplish in space. But in the end, people and especially politicians are exploitative. If somebody never draws a line, they're going to get pushed further and further back until the next thing you know - they look back and that position they originally stood on (and I do believe Bolden initially had nothing but the best of intentions and goals for NASA) is nowhere to be found. It's the analog of working in a corporation and a well intentioned lower executive trying to change things with 'baby steps'. It doesn't work. Those 'baby steps' are appeasement to make you feel like you taking half a step forward is an acceptable compromise for each 10 feet you are sent backwards.