Posted: Tue, Oct 16, 2001, 7:44 PM ET (2344 GMT)
Joseph Rothenberg, the NASA associate administrator for space flight, will retire in December, the space agency announced Tuesday. Rothenberg had served as associate administrator, responsible for the International Space Station and space shuttle programs, since 1998. He previously served for three years as the director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Rothenberg joined NASA in 1983 after nearly 20 years in the private sector, including a long stint with Grumman Aerospace. Rothenberg's name had been circulated at times in the past year as a possible successor to Dan Goldin as NASA administrator. Rothenberg's retirement takes effect December 15.

Related Links:

•  NASA press release
•  SPACE.com article
•  AviationNow.com article