spacetoday.net: Gregory nominated to be NASA deputy administrator

Posted: Thu, May 9, 2002, 8:04 AM ET (1204 GMT)
Frederick Gregory (NASA)

The White House and NASA announced Wednesday that President Bush has nominated Frederick D. Gregory to become deputy administrator, the number two job at NASA. Gregory has been associate administrator for space flight since December, after leading NASA's safety efforts. He is a former astronaut and veteran of three shuttle missions, and flew 550 combat missions in Vietnam as an Air Force pilot. Gregory is the second person nominated for the position: in January former astronaut Charles Bolden was picked for the job. However, the White House withdrew the nomination in March just before his scheduled Senate confirmation hearing because of Congressional opposition to having an active-duty military officer in a civilian post. Gregory must also be confirmed by the Senate, but is far less likely to encounter significant opposition.