Under the threat of NASA being leaderless for several months to come, the US Senate has bitten the bullet and approved the appointment of Jim Bridenstine, former jet fighter pilot and current Republican Congressman, to the role of NASA Administrator.
Bridenstine’s nomination was passed by an exceptionally close vote of 50 to 49 in favour of his investiture after Republican Senator Marco Rubio switched sides. Bridenstine’s selection had been previously opposed by the Senate over his self proclaimed doubts about the human cause of global warming and his lack of space industry experience. This led to seven months of political wrangling following his original nomination by President Trump.
Jim Bridenstine Courtesy: US Congress via Wikipedia
Bridenstine takes over from acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot who left NASA at the beginning of April, and who had been “holding the fort” after the retirement of Charles Bolden following the US Presidential election in November 2016.
Update on 24 April 2018: On 23rd April, Jim Bridenstine formally resigned his seat representing Oklahoma in the House of Representatives and has been sworn in as the 13th NASA Administrator.
