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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine says it's in the 'best interest of NASA' for him to resign rather than work for the Biden administration [businessinsider.com]

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said he would not stay on as head of the agency under a Biden administration, even if asked by the president-elect.

Bridenstine, a Republican, represented Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District before President Donald Trump appointed him to NASA's top position. But he stressed that his plan to step down is not based on party affiliation. Rather, Bridenstine said, he would do so to ensure that the next leader of the agency could be someone with a longer-term relationship to Biden.

"The right question here is, 'What's in the best interest of NASA as an agency, and what's in the best interest of America's exploration program?'" Bridenstine told Aviation Week [aviationweek.com]. "For that, what you need is somebody who has a close relationship with the president of the United States. You need somebody who is trusted by the administration.

"I think that I would not be the right person for that in a new administration," he added.

Related: Impact of the Midterm Elections May be Felt at NASA [soylentnews.org]

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