Posted by Ray Katz in NASA, current
Looking for the Next NASA Administrator
Nobody knows and the decision hasn’t been made about who the next NASA administrator will be. But, despite a petition campaign by former astronaut Scott Horowitz to retain Michael Griffin, it appears that Griffin will be replaced.
But with whom?
One possibility is astronaut Charles F. Bolton Jr. With four shuttle missions under his belt, one might assume that he’s interested in manned flight, and would not turn away from it to provide more money for unmanned missions. That might not be the situation with others said to be under consideration.
The selection of scientist and veteran of NASA’s earth science division, Charles Kennel, could signal a shift. Three others not associated with manned travel are also said to be under consideration: Alan Stern, and Wesley Huntress, both former NASA associate administrators; and Scott Hubbard, formerly director of NASA’s Ames Research Center.
My guess is that selection of one of these scientists would signal a shift in emphasis away from manned flight. But that’s just a guess.
