Three-term lawmaker has supported commercial space ventures and traditional manned exploration programs
Rep. Jim Bridenstine, an Oklahoma Republican with a record supporting both commercial space ventures and traditional manned exploration programs, appears to be the leading candidate to become the next NASA administrator, according to people familiar with the matter.
The lawmaker’s name emerged early during the Trump administration transition process, and he has been interviewed by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, these people said. But they emphasized that Mr. Bridenstine, a former Navy pilot who has actively sought the position, still is waiting for a final signoff by President-elect Donald Trump and top aides.
A third-term congressman from Tulsa and an outspoken Trump supporter before the general election, Mr. Bridenstine also has been considered and interviewed as a possible nominee for Air Force Secretary.
But Sen. Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma’s senior GOP Senator, has expressed opposition to such a choice for political and policy reasons, according to two people familiar with the details. And transition officials believe others are more likely to be tapped for the Air Force job, these people said.
An announcement about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s leadership could come as early as next week, according to aerospace industry officials and others tracking the process, though they cautioned the timetable may stretch and the outcome could change.
On Saturday, Trump transition officials didn’t have any immediate comment.
Picking Rep. Bridenstine to run NASA could help bridge some of the deep policy and philosophical disagreements that have split the Trump transition effort involving the agency. Most members of the team assigned to NASA are associated with big-ticket programs favored by longstanding agency contractors, while a separate faction wants to emphasize commercial initiatives and novel funding strategies.
Mr. Pence is expected to play a major role in the expected debates over space policy, but the NASA chief’s primary challenge will be balancing such competing demands for resources. The incoming NASA administrator, among other things, will wrestle with whether U.S. astronauts should return to the surface of the moon and pick preparatory missions targeting ultimate manned voyages to Mars.
Mr. Bridenstine has a history of backing commercial space tugs and taxis to ferry cargo and eventually U.S. astronauts to the international space station. But he also is considered a proponent of existing exploration programs backed by Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. and other legacy contractors.
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