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From the Executive Director

U.S. President Announces New NASA Leadership

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Click to enlarge > Louis D. Friedman Executive Director of The Planetary Society

May 23 , 2009

The long wait by those in the space community is over -- President Obama today announced the selection of Charles Bolden as his choice for NASA Administrator. Bolden is an ex-Astronaut -- in fact he is the shuttle pilot who delivered the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit in 1991. I find it very appropriate that his announcement was timed with the end of the final, and superbly conducted, shuttle mission to the Hubble.

President Obama also announced  his choice for Deputy Administrator, Lori Garver. Garver is well known to Planetary Society members, having served as our Washington representative prior to becoming Obama’s space advisor during the campaign last year.

Both Bolden and Garver have great NASA leadership experience: Bolden as an Astronaut, Chief of Safety at Johnson Space Center and as Assistant Deputy Administrator at NASA Headquarters; and Garver was an Associate Administrator for Policy and Plans at NASA.

They are both fine choices, and we look forward to favorable Senate confirmation. In an earlier column, I wrote that a key requirement for the new NASA Administrator should be his (or her) ability to inspire. I think Bolden has that quality. He is a leader. He commanded the first U.S.-Russian shuttle mission, and was tapped by former Administrator Dan Goldin to be part of his team reforming and streamlining NASA in the early 1990s. After leaving NASA he served as Deputy Commandant of Midshipman at the Naval Academy. Another former Administrator, Sean O’Keefe, tried to tap Bolden to be his Deputy but was blocked by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld who would not let then–General Bolden resign from the military, because of planning for the Iraq War.

Bolden testified to Congress in 2006 with a terrific statement, showing great appreciation for the synergy of science and exploration at a time when budget cutbacks were creating a split between their champions in both the bureaucratic and intellectual camps. “Human exploration and science experimentation and research are necessarily parallel endeavors that are mutually supportive if we are to realize success in either,” he said.

He went on to speak about the importance of space exploration as inspiration to the generations trying to create a positive future. Bolden’s experience talking to young people around the world bodes well for his leadership in creating a NASA that inspires through new achievements.

His closing comment inspired me -- and resonated with the efforts we make here at The Planetary Society to promote international cooperation in space.

“One of the greatest benefits of human space exploration [is] the incredible opportunity for international engagement and cooperation in a common goal of furthering our understanding of this universe in which we live. Experts site all kinds of reasons for the peaceful cooperation of Russia and the United States today, but I feel that a primary reason that Russia even exists today in relative peace and prosperity is due to the continued support and cooperation we gave to them from the days of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 through the fall of the Soviet Union continuing to today. We have an opportunity to forge the same kind of alliance with the people of China by fully welcoming them into the family of space-faring nations and opening opportunities to them to join with us in the peaceful human and robotic exploration of space. As is a common practice in our military, peaceful engagement with potential adversaries frequently makes them long-term partners in pursuit of the common goal of international peace and stability. Likewise in science and technology research as well as human space exploration, engagement with our potential adversaries has the great advantage of focusing our efforts on common, peaceful pursuits and advancing the cause of humankind here on Earth. We already know how difficult it is to get humans safely into space and back home to Earth. We needn't make it even more difficult by holding the NASA budget down to a level where we are forced to make the choice between scientific and technological research and human exploration thus decreasing our chances of successfully pursuing either.”

Well said, Mr. Bolden -- good luck in your new job. How can we help?

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