The reported appointment of the former Florida Sen. Bill Nelson
Clarence (Bill) William Nelson OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Obama NOAA Leader Joins Biden White House in Climate Role | Study: Climate change could lower the creditworthiness of more than 60 countries | NASA climate official says agency has put ‘renewed emphasis’ on practical scientific applications NASA climate official says agency has placed ‘renewed emphasis’ on practical scientific applications The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – CDC updates guidelines for students at MORE (D) To be the next NASA administrator, if it does something, proves it’s a spinning world.
In November 2017, when Nelson was chairman of the Senate Trade Committee, he watched the then-Rep. Jim Bridenstine
James (Jim) Frederick BridenstineBiden to Nominate Bill Nelson to Lead NASA: Reports The Biden Administration Endorses NASA’s Artemis, the Space Force Will Biden Continue NASA’s Artemis Program to Return to the Moon? LAKE (R-Okla.) And stated that a politician had no calling to become the head of the US space agency. An aerospace profession, meaning an engineer, manager, or astronaut would be a better fit for the job.
Probably because, despite Nelson’s best efforts, Bridenstine won confirmation and went on to become the most celebrated NASA administrator since James Webb, the former Florida senator changed that assessment. After all, a politician can run the US space program pretty well. Indeed, on that basis Bridenstine has endorsed Nelson’s nomination, setting aside obvious personal considerations for what he sees as NASA’s good. Still, the matter should come up at Nelson’s confirmation hearings to see how he will respond.
Bridenstine put his political skills to good use in running NASA and furthering Artemis’s return to the Moon program. He left partiality and sold the program to members of Congress, foreign leaders, business magnates, and the general public. As a result, when Bridenstine resigned from NASA, the incoming government backed the Artemis program. He proved that a politician can lead and run NASA well. People of all political beliefs mourned when Bridenstine left for the private sector.
However, the assumption that Nelson is fit for the job just because he is also a politician becomes questionable when one examines his track record. If Bridenstine could be considered a Jedi master of politics when it comes to space, Nelson is more like a Sith gentleman.
In addition to subjecting Bridenstine to a Star Chamber or confirmation hearing, Nelson has played politics in several other instances for dubious reasons.
While still a member of the House, Nelson used his position to secure a place on a space shuttle mission. He had no qualifications other than the fact that he managed a lot of NASA funding. The astronauts hated his presence on the shuttle so much that they nicknamed him “ballast.”
Nelson is also one of the parents of the super-heavy, super-expensive, and far-behind Space Launch System (SLS), which some pranksters call the Senate Launch System. Former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver described how the funding of the SLS was the price Nelson and others demanded for approving the Commercial Crew program in what she called a “Faustian bargain.” Congress then funded the program to send astronauts to the International Space Station. Nevertheless, the Crew Dragon is now flying and the SLS has yet to get off the ground. Many consider the SLS to be an albatross holding back Artemis, suggesting that NASA should use commercial launchers to get astronauts to the Moon and Mars.
On the other hand, the SLS recently passed its hot-fire test as the last step of the Green Run. The engines burned successfully for more than eight minutes, the time they have to fire during a launch.
Nelson will almost certainly be confirmed. Many of the members of the Senate Trade Committee have served with him, and most are his friends. Sen. Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio A new era for the children of America? Biden nominates ex-Florida Sen. Bill Nelson to lead NASA Border Surge confuses Senate immigration debate MORE (R-Fla.), Who was also against Bridenstine, has endorsed his old fellow senator. Still, the hearings should not be a rubber stamp. Nelson should be questioned thoroughly about his current positions on space policy. For example:
What are Nelson’s feelings about commercial space flights? Does he support getting the Human Landing System that will bring Americans to the lunar surface commercially, in the same way as the Commercial Crew program?
Does Nelson support the creation of a permanent international moon base? Does he support a human presence on the moon to conduct scientific research and commercial development, and to prepare for expeditions to Mars? Does Nelson support developing lunar resources to support astronauts on the moon and to support the Mars program?
What are Nelson’s thoughts on space cooperation with China? One item the former senator could stumble upon is his investment in a Chinese telecom blacklisted by the Pentagon.
Nelson has the potential to end his career by furthering the expansion of America and its allies in space. If (when) Nelson is confirmed, it would be good to ask his former antagonist Bridenstine for advice in that regard. That way, Nelson could turn away from the dark side and do something good for his country and its civilization.
Mark Whittington, who writes extensively on space and politics, has published a political study on space exploration entitled Why Is Going Back To The Moon So Hard? as well as “The Moon, Mars and Beyond.” He blogs at Curmudgeons Corner. He is published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Hill, USA Today, the LA Times and the Washington Post, among others.