NASA Announces New Associate Administrator, NASA
“NASA Administrator Sen. Bill Nelson announced Monday Robert D. Cabana, who has served as director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida since 2008, will serve as associate administrator effective Monday, May 17. Steve Jurczyk, who held the position since 2018, announced his retirement Monday.”
Jurczyk Retires as NASA Associate Administrator, NASA
“Steve Jurczyk, who served as acting NASA administrator from Jan. 20 to May 3, 2021, announced Monday he will retire on Friday, May 14, after more than three decades of service at NASA.”
Keith’s note: Meanwhile talk in the hallways is that Bill Nelson wants everyone to call him “NASA Administrator Senator Bill Nelson”. Why not include “congressman”, “astronaut”, and “Ballast” – his other three honorifics i.e. “NASA Administrator Senator Congressman Astronaut Bill “Ballast” Nelson.”? Funny, no one ever referred to NASA Administrator Lt Commander Congressman Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator Major General Charlie Bolden, or NASA Administrator Hon. Secretary Sean O’Keefe. etc. Then of course we can expect to be hearing about NASA Associate Administrator Colonel Director Bob Cabana too. Meanwhile I suspect that Pam Melroy will be more interested in getting actual work done than titles.

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 🖖🏻

13 replies on “Florida's Takeover Of NASA Headquarters Continues”

  1. *facepalm*

    So NASA Administrator Senator Representative Captain Bill Nelson (D-FL) is aware that Elon Musk – the man from whom NASA buys half of its ISS resupply flights, (so far) all of its ISS crew rotation flights, it’s Lunar Human Landing System, and Falcon launches for satellites and probes – bestowed upon himself the title of “Technoking of Tesla” because he got bored with “CEO”, right?

    Because that’s is NASA Administrator Senator Bill Nelson’s chief partner: the Technoking of Tesla’s, whose CFO holds the title of “Master of Coin.”

    There’s a good chance Musk names himself “First Space Lord” or something as soon as he has a few Starships flying in orbit. Or maybe when he’s just bored on a random Thursday. Because making light of the intrinsic ridiculousness things like that is what makes Elon Musk, Elon Musk, and thinking honorifics matter in a world where what you are doing now is the chief currency, is what makes Bill Nelson, Bill Nelson.

    Elon Musk runs the world’s most advanced, successful and economical spaceflight program. He can call himself anything he wants. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, should focus on being an effective NASA Administrator.

    2. The difference is that Musk does real engineering work at SpaceX and Tesla, with the rest being firmly tongue in cheek. Bill Nelson’s ego is his driver.

      1. Yeah, that was the point. Musk calls himself Technoking because he’s beyond the nonsense of titles meaning anything.

  2. OK, it’s a small thing. After all, folks should be called what they want – something I learned in a Dale Carnegie course years ago.

    But it’s pretentious as hell, and emblematic of a disturbing mind set.

  3. Why is this not in the least surprising? Titanic deck chair rearrangement stuff. Was Chief Justice Taft addressed as Chief Justice President Secretary Governor Solicitor General Taft?

    Or is this a late or misplaced April 1st spoof? It’s THAT silly.

  4. You forgot to mention “Grand Poobah of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes.”

    It never goes well when the people in charge seem more worried about how you address them than what they’re actually in charge of.

    IMHO, Jim Bridenstine left some pretty big shoes to fill. I hope Nelson is up to the task.

  5. We don’t do titles of nobility in the US. He’s no longer a senator, he got fired from the job by the citizens of Florida.

    (And Mrs. Carter, Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump are no longer “President” whatever.)

    1. Actually, they ARE properly (in the matter of professional courtesy) addressed as President -name- after they are no longer holding the office. And a former senator is similarly properly referred to as Senator -name-, which is likely where Nelson’s directive is coming from. But it obviously starts to get silly (and clunky) once the person is filling a new CS position with its own title. It seems more prudent to leave off the other honorifics until he’s no longer serving in a civil service capacity.

      1. Some people do that. I don’t. It’s a holdover that needs to end. When they were in office, they were the hired help. No better than an ordinary citizen.

        We don’t do titles of nobility, and that’s what they have become.

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