On Monday, he placed his hand on the Bible and took the oath in front of US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Charles Bolden, the former director of the space agency under President Barack Obama, also attended the ceremony at the White House, as well as Donald Trump’s Republican Jim Bridenstein concert, from his side via video broadcast.
This code aims To demonstrate continuity, beyond party lines, with which you should lead the nation’s space program, especially NASA
Bill Nelson, 78, said.
A new space age begins
Added in front of a piece of moon rock.
Bill Nelson will have to lead NASA and face many daunting challenges.
The agency is particularly preparing to return to the moon through its Artemis program. The ambitious timeline, which calls for Americans to return to the Lunar Earth in 2024, has been preserved for the time being by the Biden administration.
NASA is also moving more and more towards commercial partnerships, which must be nurtured.
President Joe Biden also said he wants to put research on climate change at the core of NASA’s missions.
In 1986, Bill Nelson flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia on a six-day space mission. The pilot was one of his predecessors as NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who attended Monday.
Bill Nelson of Florida was elected to the House of Representatives between 1979 and 1991, then to the Senate between 2001 and 2019, and chaired or was a member of Parliamentary Space Subcommittees for many years.
With decades of experience and as a former astronaut, Bill Nelson will present NASA’s science, aviation and technology missions.
Kamala Harris tweeted Monday.
At the time of Republican Jim Bridenstein’s assertion, Mr. Nelson felt that the head of NASA should not be a politician, but a professional in space. Despite these initial criticisms, Bridenstine’s work as agency chief was subsequently deemed effective, not least thanks to his knowledge of Congress.
Nelson’s closeness to Joe Biden, who was the same age and was a partial Senator at the same time he was, should also allow him to attract the president’s attention.
The US Senate has not confirmed the appointment of US astronaut Pamela Millroy as a deputy to the official. She is a pilot and one of two women who were under the control of a shuttle bound for the International Space Station.
This weekend, Kamala Harris was also appointed chair of the National Space Council, which is responsible for directing space policies for the US government. This body, revived under Donald Trump, was also entrusted to the incumbent Vice President, at the time, Mike Pence.
The vice president is the ideal person to lead policy in space on behalf of the federal government, which is increasingly complex and includes many nations.
Bill Nelson said in a statement.