The NASA chief says he will step down when Biden takes office

Jim Bridenstine will reportedly resign from his leading role at NASA soon, saying he would not be suitable for work under a Biden administration. Nominated by outgoing and indicted President Donald Trump, the former Republican congressman ended up being effectively competent as a NASA leader, despite his history of climate change denial and lack of scientific training.

A new element will soon have to be added to President-elect Joe Biden’s already long to-do list, as a major vacancy is bound to emerge at NASA. Jim Bridenstine, after a three-year stint as NASA chief, plans to leave the role behind, Irene Klotz reports to Aviation Week.

Bridenstine told Klotz that her decision was not motivated by politics and that a new NASA leadership will be required under Biden.

The interests of NASA and the US space exploration program will be best served by “someone who has a close relationship with the president of the United States,” he said on Sunday after it became clear that Biden had won the presidency. “You need someone the administration trusts… including the OMB [Office of Management and Budget], the National Space Council and the National Security Council, and I think I wouldn’t be the right person for that in a new administration, “Bridenstine said, as reported in Aviation Week.

To which he added: “Whoever the president is, he must have someone they know and trust and someone the administration trusts. That person will not be me. “

The chief NASA administrator released the comments from Kennedy Space Center, where he is preparing for Friday’s launch of a SpaceX Crew Dragon on the International Space Station. This will be NASA’s first official mission to involve a crewed CrewDragon, as opposed to a demo.

That Bridenstine is not someone the Democrats can “trust” is a fair statement. The former Navy pilot is the first elected officer to serve as NASA chief; Bridenstine served in Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District from 2013 to 2018. A staunch Republican, he mobilized for Ted Cruz in 2015. In 2017, Bridenstine was chosen by outgoing US President Donald Trump to lead NASA, with his appointment confirmed by the Senate in 2018.

Bridenstine was a climate science denier for many years, until he finally changed his tune in 2018. Indeed, his anti-scientific views made him a controversial choice for the position of NASA chief – a decision made again. more unfortunate because of his reverse views on self-sexual marriage and transgender rights. So yeah, it’s good that this guy, who wasn’t supposed to get the job in the first place, is moving on.

Bridenstine’s tenure as a NASA administrator raises some very important questions about the position and whether political appointees are even appropriate at the space agency. As for what NASA looks like under a Biden administration, it’s still unclear. Speculation is already emerging that Biden will prioritize climate over space and perhaps even delay Artemis’ scheduled missions to land a woman and a man on the moon in 2024. The 2024 timeline was set by President Trump; previously, NASA had targeted 2028 for a moon landing.