spacetoday.net: Report: Bolden likely to be picked for NASA administrator

Posted: Fri, May 15, 2009, 8:28 AM ET (1228 GMT)
Charles Bolden (USMC)

Former astronaut Charles Bolden is expected to be nominated by the White House as the next NASA administrator as soon as early next week, according to media reports late Thursday. Bolden is expected to meet with President Obama on Monday, according to reports, with a formal nomination to come shortly thereafter. Bolden first emerged as a candidate for the position in January and was backed by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), who chairs the Senate subcommittee with oversight of NASA, but had not previously been thought to be the preferred choice of the Obama Administration. Bolden, a retired Marine Corps general, was a NASA astronaut from 1980 to 1994, serving as pilot of two shuttle missions and commander of two more. Bolden was considered for the post of deputy administrator in 2002, when Sean O'Keefe was NASA administrator, but that move was blocked by the Defense Department because Bolden was an active-duty officer needed for wartime duties at that time.