Posted: Fri, Feb 1, 2002, 7:54 AM ET (1254 GMT)
Marine general and former astronaut Charles Bolden was nominated Thursday to be NASA deputy administrator, the number two ranking position at the space agency. Bolden flew on four shuttle missions between 1986 and 1994, including commanding STS-45 in 1992 and STS-60 in 1994. He is currently a major general in the Marine Corps and commander of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing. Bolden's nomination must be approved by the Senate, although he is unlikely to encounter any opposition. NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe also appointed several other people to fill key positions in the agency, including Paul Pastorek as NASA general counsel. Glenn Mahone, acting associate administrator for public affairs, will now permanently fill that position, while Jeff Bingham, acting associate administrator for legislative affairs, will also permanently fill that position.

Related Links:

•  NASA press release
•  SPACE.com article
•  Houston Chronicle article