Trump Picks Oklahoma Rep. Jim Bridenstine As Next NASA Administrator

The White House announced Saturday that President Donald Trump plans on nominating Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a Republican from Oklahoma, as NASA’s next administrator.

Bridenstine will replace the space agency’s acting leader, Robert Lightfoot, who took control of NASA when Trump became president in January. Bridenstine, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee, will need to be confirmed by the senate to become the agency’s next administrator.

In a statement, Lightfoot said he was “pleased to have Rep. Bridenstine nominated to lead our team.”

“Of course, the nomination must go through the Senate confirmation process, but I look forward to ensuring a smooth transition and sharing the great work the NASA team is doing,” said Lightfoot. “I look forward to working with a new leadership team, and the administration, on NASA’s ongoing mission of exploration and discovery. Our history is amazing, and our future is even brighter, as we continue to build on this nation’s incredible global leadership in human exploration, science, aeronautics and technology.”

Commercial Space

Bridenstine, who was elected to represent Oklahoma’s First Congressional District in 2012, is a fan of the commercial space industry. He introduced the American Space Renaissance Act in April 2016, which included provisions on national security, civil and commercial space. The bill, which did not become a law, called for commercial solutions to be “considered when assessing government missions.”

“Commercial space capital requirements and risks are sizeable. The United States commercial space industry must be provided maximum regulatory certainty with minimal regulatory burden,” the bill’s site proposed.

In a blog post last November, Bridenstine called for commercial activity and permanent settlement on the moon.

“From the discovery of water ice on the moon until this day, the American objective should have been a permanent outpost of rovers and machines at the poles with occasional manned missions for science and maintenance,” Bridenstine wrote.

Opposition To Trump’s NASA Pick

Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, announced on Twitter he was pleased with Bridenstine’s nomination.

However, other senators weren’t on board with Trump’s pick, including Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who told Politico he would prefer an administrator who has the “respect of the people who work there from a leadership and even a scientific perspective.”

“I just think it could be devastating for the space program. Obviously, being from Florida, I’m very sensitive to anything that slows up NASA and its mission […] It’s the one federal mission which has largely been free of politics and it’s at a critical juncture in its history,” said Rubio.

I would hate to see an administrator held up -- on [grounds of] partisanship, political arguments, past votes, or statements made in the past -- because the agency can’t afford it and it can’t afford the controversy.”

The other Florida senator, Bill Nelson, a Democrat, concurred with Rubio telling Politico: “The head of NASA ought to be a space professional, not a politician.”