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Biden Space

Once Again It Is Transition Team Season

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
November 6, 2020
Filed under ,

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

15 responses to “Once Again It Is Transition Team Season”

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

    • Johnhouboltsmyspiritanimal says:
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      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. Johnhouboltsmyspiritanimal says:
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    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.

    • Daan Smets says:
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      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.

      • fcrary says:
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        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.

  3. Larry leszcynski says:
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    I fear that the 60th anniversary of the first moon landing will find the US earthbound.

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

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

    • chuckc192000 says:
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      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.

  5. MarcNBarrett says:
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    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. savuporo says:
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    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.

  7. Chris says:
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    Well regardless if Biden asks him to stay Jim Bridenstine has stated he will not stay on at NASA.

    • fcrary says:
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      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.

    • mfwright says:
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      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.