Biologist, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Biologist and Payload integrator, Editor of NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com, Lapsed climber, Explorer, Synaesthete, Former Challenger Center board member...

15 replies on “Once Again It Is Transition Team Season”

  1. Please do not appoint Horn, either keep Mr. B or appoint someone that is pro commercial space and anti SLS/Orion.

    1. If we have to pick between horn and garver (the only names I have seen floated so far) I would pick garver but rather Jim stay on cause getting a replacement confirmed is going to take a while

  2. Anyway Biden keeps bridenstine on to show he is a bridge builder and willing to put person above party. Jim has done a good job building an international coalition for Artemis and enabling commercial space it would be ashamed to have him leave then the agency be rudderless for a year or more while Biden builds a cabinet and other appointments before worrying about filling NASA administrator position.

    1. The incoming Clinton administration kept Dan Goldin (appointed by Bush 41) as NASA Administrator in 1993. It is definitely possible, if not plausible at the moment due to the early days of the transition.

      1. That’s because Mr. Clinton couldn’t find anyone who was competent, satisfied his other requirements (political, priorities for NASA, etc.) and actually wanted the job. I’d call SLS a disaster waiting to happen, except it’s already a disaster. Mr. Biden may have trouble finding someone willing to be the Administrator who gets to take responsibility for that mess.

  4. We can officially start talking about the transition and later.

    I am for keeping Bridenstine. I think he has shown exemplary independence from trump.

    1. If he was truly independent from trump, he would have done the right thing and pushed back against the 2024 moon landing date. In their heart of hearts, practically nobody believes that could have been done safely. It was all for trump campaign talking points about how he “saved” NASA.

      1. Thank God we have armchair pundits named “guest” who can question others’ motives behind pseudonyms on NASAWatch.

  5. What will likely become of the Space Force? I think the concept was OK, but with a silly name, like something a child would come up with (which isn’t too far from the truth). I think Biden should rename it, which would drive trump crazy. The Space Force is his one really big legacy.

  6. Even if Bridenstine isn’t doing everything perfect, keeping him would prevent another gap in leadership. NASA has pretty clear set of goals, good coalition of industry and international partners, decent political support – let’s just get on with the job.

    1. It seems unlikely, but not absolutely certain. Mr. Bridenstine’s statement seemed to say he isn’t the right person for the job under the new administration, and someone else should take over NASA. But there have been many cases when someone who didn’t want to be in charge of a government agency, was asked to do so by the President, and agreed to take the job despite misgivings. (Although I don’t think that’s ever happened in the case of NASA.) If Mr. Biden asks Mr. Bridenstine to stay on, he might agree to do so. I think it’s unlikely he would be asked, but I think it’s possible.

    2. If Bridenstine were to leave then that will give impression (at least for me) Artemis is a Trump program rather than a NASA program. Not a good thing for longterm HSF programs (other programs seem to be immune) if highly depended on who’s in the White House. Of course SpaceX and Blue Origin programs are not fixed to 4/8 year increments.

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