NASA/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republican Rep. Jim Bridenstine, named on Friday [9-1-17] as President Donald Trump’s choice to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, faces tough policy, personnel and political challenges repositioning the agency in an era of booming commercial space ventures.
The decision to nominate the former Navy aviator and three-term Oklahoma lawmaker, a move that had been expected, comes amid lingering uncertainties surrounding the White House’s broad space goals. A space policy council, headed by Vice President Mike Pence, is just getting organized to provide direction for the Pentagon, NASA and other agencies.
Mr. Bridenstine, a strong supporter of private space endeavors such as minerals mining on the moon, has encouraged use of the council to better coordinate military and civilian space programs. But the result, according to industry officials and former NASA managers, could restrict his options in running the agency.
As a leading legislative voice on space issues, Mr. Bridenstine has supported greater emphasis on tracking orbital debris as various companies contemplate launching unprecedented numbers of low-earth orbit satellites.
He also has advocated the importance of using NASA missions to the moon as steppingstones to developing a host of technologies required for deep-space probes eventually including manned missions to Mars.”
-Andy Pasaztor, “Rep. Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma Tapped to Head NASA,” The Wall Street Journal online, Sept. 2, 2017 05:09pm