Joe Biden Nominates Former Democratic Senator Bill Nelson As NASA Chief

The nomination appears to confirm Joe Biden's interest in maintaining US leadership in space as NASA prepares to return to the Moon under the Artemis program, while pivoting towards commercial partnerships for missions in low-Earth orbit.

The White House announced Friday that US President Joe Biden was tapping Bill Nelson, a former Democratic senator for Florida who once flew on a Space Shuttle and helped craft key space legislation as his NASA chief. The nomination appears to confirm Biden's interest in maintaining US leadership in space as NASA prepares to return to the Moon under the Artemis program, while pivoting towards commercial partnerships for missions in low-Earth orbit. Biden has also signaled that climate change research will be a top priority for the agency. If confirmed, Nelson will succeed ex-administrator Jim Bridenstine, who was picked by former president Donald Trump and stepped down on January 20.