Planetary Society Statement on the Confirmation of Jim Bridenstine as NASA Administrator

Pasadena, CA (April 19, 2018)—After the successful confirmation vote to approve Jim Bridenstine as NASA Administrator, Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye issued the following statement:

“Congratulations to Mr. Bridenstine on his confirmation as NASA Administrator. We look forward to working with him to explore space, advance space science, and search for life on other worlds.”

The Planetary Society’s Director of Space Policy, Casey Dreier, added:

“We are pleased to see NASA gain a confirmed Administrator and we congratulate Mr. Bridenstine on assuming this new role. NASA needs empowered leadership in order to remain the world leader in space science and exploration. We have had a productive relationship with Mr. Bridenstine in the past, and have found him willing to engage on a variety of important issues facing the space and science community.”

The Planetary Society encourages the White House to quickly nominate a qualified Deputy Administrator—and for the Senate to expeditiously confirm him or her—in order to provide support to the Administrator and to NASA in this period of programmatic transition.