Posted: Fri, Nov 8, 2002, 7:23 PM ET (0023 GMT)
Former Johnson Space Center (JSC) director George Abbey will retire from NASA at the beginning of 2003, the agency announced Thursday. Abbey, who joined NASA in 1964 while still an Air Force officer, worked his way up through the ranks to become head of JSC in 1996. He was reassigned in February 2001 to become senior assistant to then-NASA administrator Dan Goldin for international issues. The reassignment to a largely make-work position was seen by many as a demotion, evidence of a clash of personalities between the headstrong Abbey and Goldin. Abbey is also currently a senior visiting fellow at Rice University's James Baker Institute for Public Policy. Abbey's retirement is effective January 3, 2003.

Related Links:

•  NASA press release
•  Florida Today article