President Biden on Friday nominated Bill Nelson, a former senator from Florida, to head NASA. A statement from the White House announcing the nomination said of Mr. Nelson, “In the Senate he was known as the go-to senator for our nation’s space program.”The selection raised concerns that the Biden administration may restore a more traditional space program that relies on large, legacy aerospace companies such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, rather than more nimble newcomers like SpaceX. Many people in the field had also hoped that Mr. Biden would nominate the first woman to serve as administrator. “Given how many qualified and talented women were rumored to be in consideration, he’s putting great trust in his former Senate colleague,” said Lori Garver, a former deputy administrator of NASA during the Obama administration.

Source: International New York Times March 19, 2021 14:37 UTC