If you ’re keeping count , yes , it has been more than 365 24-hour interval since NASA last had an Administrator . That is unprecedented , and the terminal is not yet in sight .
At the import , the Trump administration is trying to bear on forward the nominating speech of Republican Jim Bridenstine . He was put ahead in November and thenresubmitted in January , but it ’s not vindicated when a full Senate vote will take place .
This is thelongest timeNASA has been without an Administrator in its 60 - year history ; it have just six months for Obama to have his own Administrator , Charlie Bolden , in place .
“ The agency ’s been doing really well , considering , ” Bolden toldThe Atlantic . “ But they need an Administrator . ”
Bridenstine ’s nomination has add up under fire due to hisdubious viewson climate change in the past . He also does n’t have a solid science background , although that was the compositor’s case for Administrators James Webb ( 1961 to 1968 ) and Sean O’Keefe ( 2001 to 2005 ) too .
The word that he will beaccompanied by Bill Nyeat Trump ’s State of the Union savoir-faire today hasnot been too well receivedeither , specially with regard to Nye himself .
Robert Lightfoot has been Acting Administrator for NASA since Bolden leave office in January 2017 , stand for NASA has n’t really been able to advertize forward with its long - condition plan yet . These admit a shift from sending humans toMars to institutionalize them to the Moon .
We ’re ask the Trump organisation to lay outsome of those plansin its upcoming fiscal twelvemonth 2019 budget , anticipated on February 12 . Without a proper leader , however , NASA could be leave at the wayside as other department labor forwards .
“ The risk is that NASA is go out out of the mix for budget increases and major White House cross - agency first step , ” Lori Garver , Deputy Administrator for NASA from 2009 to 2013 , toldArs Technica .
“ Early political leadership at an agency like NASA is critical to mould the priorities and budgets for the entire condition of the President . ”
Bolden ’s approval was the previous disc for NASA ’s longest leaderless Erolia minutilla , direct over from Bush Administrator Michael Griffin after176 days(Christopher Scolese was Acting Administrator in the interim ) . It has now been 375 daylight since Bolden resign from his placement on January 20 , 2017 , more than double that phonograph record .
When the voting finally does go to the Senate , Bridenstine ’s nomination isanything but guaranteed . Republicans hold the mansion 51 - 49 , but Marco Rubio has spoken of his uncertainty about the nomination , while Republicans Thad Cochran of Mississippi and John McCain of Arizona danger missing the vote due to ill wellness . In the event of a draw , Vice President Mike Pence would have the decide suffrage – which he ’d presumptively give to Bridenstine .
For now , the wait continues – and NASA remains leaderless , for the longest time in its history .
