Houston Chronicle by Andrea Leinfelder Nov. 11, 2020
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine does not plan to stay with the agency under President Elect Joe Biden’s Administration.
In an interview with Aviation Week & Space Technology, Bridenstine said that he would leave NASA — even if asked to stay — to ensure that it had the best chance of success in the new administration.
“What you need is somebody who has a close relationship with the president of the United States,†Bridenstine told Irene Klotz of Aviation Week & Space Technology. “You need somebody who is trusted by the administration … including the OMB (Office of Management and Budget), the National Space Council and the National Security Council, and I think that I would not be the right person for that in a new administration.â€
NASA confirmed what was said in Aviation Week & Space Technology.
Bridenstine, a Rice University graduate, was nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 13th NASA Administrator in April 2018.
His confirmation hearing was quite contentious, recalled John Logsdon, a retired professor and founder of George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute.
“I just remember coming away with a sour taste because of how nasty the Democrats — and there was a large turnout at his hearing — how nasty their questions were,†he said.
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