NASA chief Jim Bridenstine is reportedly leaving the Biden administration

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine will step down once President-elect Joe Biden takes office, according to a report. Bridenstine thinks NASA will have a better chance of political success with a new boss, AerospaceDaily reported on Sunday. The new leader would have “a close relationship with the [next] president of the United States, “Bridenstine would have said.

“The right question here is, ‘What is NASA’s best interest as an agency and what is the best interest of the American exploration program?'” Bridenstine told AerospaceDaily. “You need someone the administration trusts … I think I wouldn’t be the right person for that in a new administration.”

Bridenstine, a former Oklahoma Republican Congressman, became NASA administrator in April 2018. During the Congress, he served on the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

NASA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.