Biden to tap former Senator Bill Nelson as NASA chief

[brooklynite]

Source: The Verge

President Biden has tapped former Democratic Senator Bill Nelson for NASA administrator, according to three people familiar with the decision. Nelson, a politically experienced ally of the administration, would steer the space agency as it races to return humans to the Moon, bolsters its climate research and expands its reliance on a flourishing commercial space industry.

A former congressman and three-term US senator from Florida, Nelson would succeed former president Trump’s NASA chief Jim Bridenstine, whose past experience in Congress proved key in rallying support for the Artemis program, an ambitious campaign to use the Moon as a stepping stone for future astronaut missions to Mars.

Biden’s decision comes nearly two months after he took office and as the White House remains largely silent on rolling out any space policy agenda. Senate and NASA staffers who were informally briefed this week on Biden’s decision were told that a formal announcement on Nelson’s nomination would come this week, three sources said, speaking under anonymity to discuss private conversations before the announcement is made. Former astronaut Pam Melroy is being considered for Nelson’s deputy, one of the sources said.

Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/18/22337787/biden-nasa-chief-choice-senator-bill-nelson

[Lochloosa]

1. Excellent

[jorgevlorgan]

2. Astronaut, Bill Nelson, is a great choice!

[roscoeroscoe]

3. This is great

It's important to keep up our momentum in space operations - I view space investment as part of our infrastructure investment. It's the infrastructure of the future. I think it's great Nelson and Melroy have both been to space.

I believe our Democratic administration should support NASA's efforts to stay on track for the Artemis program, while toning down the previous administration's go-it-alone style. Luckily, NASA's international partnerships have largely avoided partisan idiocy. Now if only we could work with the ISRO more, that would be great too.

[The Blue Flower]

4. Stellar choice!!!

Pun intended.