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Bolden Likely to Be Named NASA Head; Plans to Meet With Obama
By ANDY PASZTOR
After months of political tussling between the White House and some Democratic lawmakers, former astronaut and retired Marine Corps Gen. Charles Bolden has emerged as President Barack Obama's likely choice to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, according to government and industry officials familiar with the matter.
Gen. Charles Bolden-Getty Images
Barring some last-minute hitch, these officials said, the nomination could be announced as early as next week.
Mr. Obama is scheduled to meet Mr. Bolden on Monday, an Obama administration official said Friday. While the decision is expected, according to this official, it "isn't a done deal yet." A person familiar with the situation said an announcement would follow sometime after the president's meeting.
Gen. Bolden, who flew space shuttle missions in the 1990s and saw combat in the Middle East, has been strongly pushed by Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who chairs a subcommittee overseeing civilian space programs. But some White House officials and members of Mr. Obama's transition team for the agency initially opposed Gen. Bolden's nomination on the grounds that he was too closely tied to NASA's existing manned-exploration programs and wouldn't bring a fresh perspective to the agency.
But as the months dragged on, important NASA policy decisions stalled and other candidates dropped out for personal reasons or because of congressional opposition. Gen. Bolden was seen as the best alternative by the White House, these officials said, because of his earlier space experience and compelling personal story of an African American who rose from humble beginnings to senior military posts.
With Mr. Obama also poised to announce the members of a blue-ribbon study commission to review NASA's current plans to retire the space-shuttle fleet and replace them with a new family of rockets and space vehicles, Gen. Bolden is believed to have assured the White House he would approach the issue with an open mind.
By ANDY PASZTOR
After months of political tussling between the White House and some Democratic lawmakers, former astronaut and retired Marine Corps Gen. Charles Bolden has emerged as President Barack Obama's likely choice to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, according to government and industry officials familiar with the matter.
Gen. Charles Bolden-Getty Images
Barring some last-minute hitch, these officials said, the nomination could be announced as early as next week.
Mr. Obama is scheduled to meet Mr. Bolden on Monday, an Obama administration official said Friday. While the decision is expected, according to this official, it "isn't a done deal yet." A person familiar with the situation said an announcement would follow sometime after the president's meeting.
Gen. Bolden, who flew space shuttle missions in the 1990s and saw combat in the Middle East, has been strongly pushed by Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who chairs a subcommittee overseeing civilian space programs. But some White House officials and members of Mr. Obama's transition team for the agency initially opposed Gen. Bolden's nomination on the grounds that he was too closely tied to NASA's existing manned-exploration programs and wouldn't bring a fresh perspective to the agency.
But as the months dragged on, important NASA policy decisions stalled and other candidates dropped out for personal reasons or because of congressional opposition. Gen. Bolden was seen as the best alternative by the White House, these officials said, because of his earlier space experience and compelling personal story of an African American who rose from humble beginnings to senior military posts.
With Mr. Obama also poised to announce the members of a blue-ribbon study commission to review NASA's current plans to retire the space-shuttle fleet and replace them with a new family of rockets and space vehicles, Gen. Bolden is believed to have assured the White House he would approach the issue with an open mind.
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