President Trump called for “unlocking the mysteries of space” in his inaugural address and then envisioned “American footprints on distant worlds” in his speech before a Joint Session of Congress. Addressing a crowd at the Kennedy Space Center this summer, Vice President Pence confidently stated that “our nation will return to the Moon, and we will put American boots on the face of Mars.” Such an audacious agenda will require inspired engineering, committed financial support and bold leadership of the kind that Administrator James Webb supplied to NASA during the glory days of Gemini and Apollo.
Finding another Webb was no easy task. The president considered several excellent candidates, some of whom we personally admire, but in the spirit of Webb’s leadership, U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine is the president’s nominee for NASA administrator. Rumors of Mr. Bridenstine’s appointment have been swirling in the space community since the spring and during that time, the two of us have come to know him and his record. The more we learned, the happier we’ve become. We have found that Rep. Bridenstine possesses a remarkable understanding of the science, technology, economics and the policies that surround NASA. He is highly qualified to lead the world’s finest scientific and exploratory organization.
Anyone who doubts that should look closely at Mr. Bridenstine’s web page for his American Space Renaissance Act (H.R. 4945) at
http://spacerenaissanceact.com/. The ASRA offers a clear and workable plan to ensure that the benefits of space technology and resources continue to support exploration, science, American national security and economic development. As a space explorer and an academic we both applaud this integrated approach. Criticisms of Mr. Bridenstine’s nomination have centered around three themes, each of which are easily refuted.
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http://www.isn-news.net/2017/09/buzz-aldrin-and-greg-autry-it-doesnt.html
