Space Florida backs NASA chief nominee

But state’s 2 U.S. senators not so sure about president’s choice

TALLAHASSEE — Space Florida, the agency leading Florida’s efforts in reviving the space industry at Cape Canaveral, praised President Donald Trump’s new nominee to lead NASA, but Florida’s two U.S. senators aren’t embracing last week’s pick.

Space Florida CEO Frank DiBello called Oklahoma Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine “a dedicated student of the industry and a passionate champion in Congress for the maturation of the space economy.”

“He will no doubt apply the same knowledge, dedication, and passion to the leadership of NASA, for the benefit of all space stakeholders,” DiBello said in a prepared statement. “New leadership at NASA, combined with the regeneration of the National Space Council and passage of the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017, will provide the guidance and stability necessary for NASA to continue to explore new frontiers, advance technology and sustain U.S. leadership in space.”

Bridenstine, in line to become the 13th administrator of NASA, is a third-term member of Congress and a pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. He has degrees in economics, psychology and business from Rice University and an MBA from Cornell.

He started his military career as a U.S. Navy pilot and served as executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium.

It’s what is not in his resume that is a concern for U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which is the first stop in the confirmation process for Bridenstine.

“The head of NASA ought to be a space professional, not a politician,” the senator said in a statement.

Nelson is protective of NASA after flying on a space shuttle in 1986 while a member of the U.S. House.

And while Bridenstine has advocated mining the moon for fuel, he also has denied that human activity has had a role in climate change.

Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio told SpaceNews that while not taking a position on Bridenstine’s confirmation, NASA “cannot afford controversy or a delay in the nomination process.”

“NASA is at a critical juncture in history, and it is important that its mission remains free of politics and partisanship,” Rubio told SpaceNews. “I want to be without reservation because the space industry is too important to Florida’s economy.”

Bridenstine, who backed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for president in 2016, would be the first administrator from the politician class, but not every past leader has been a scientific rocket man.

Sean O’Keefe, who served under President George W. Bush, had previously been a deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

James Webb, who led NASA through its early years, was an attorney, oil-company executive and had worked in the State Department.