The current head of the Space Department at the Applied Physics Laboratory, Michael Griffin, has been selected by President George W. Bush for nomination to be the next administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan made the announcement on March 11. Several lawmakers quickly endorsed the upcoming nomination, including members of the House and Senate Science committees.
Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), chair of the House Science Committee, said of Griffin's nomination, "We are extremely pleased that the president has nominated Mike Griffin. He has broad expertise, knows NASA inside-out, and is an imaginative and creative thinker and leader."
Ken Calvert (R-CA), the chair of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, with whom Griffin will work closely, said "President Bush could not have made a better selection. His background in academia, technical research, government service, and [work in] the private sector is just what NASA needs as we move forward with the President's vision - commercial human spaceflight, unmanned robotic space exploration, and returning the [Space] Shuttle to flight."
Griffin has a long history in the aerospace field, including a number of previous positions with NASA and in the Pentagon, as well as being elected president of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Griffin first worked for the Applied Physics Lab in the 1980s, when he helped design the Delta 180 series of missile-defense satellites. He left the APL in 1986 to become the Deputy of Technology at the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization and later the Chief Engineer at NASA.
Griffin left NASA in 1993 to work for the Orbital Sciences Corporation, and held several different leadership positions in the company, including serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Magellan Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of the Oribital Sciences Corporation.
More recently, Griffin was the president and CEO of In-Q-Tel Inc., a non-profit enterprise funded by the Central Intelligence Agency to identify and invest in companies developing technologies that serve national security interests. Griffin returned to the APL in April of 2004 to head the space department.
Griffin's new role has drawn much attention as NASA is currently in a period of transition, following the Columbia Space Shuttle explosion. The U.S. has not had any shuttle missions since the Columbia was destroyed.
Griffin's nomination process is expected to go quickly, and may be over within a month. Industry groups, advocacy organizations, and members of Congress have almost unanimously supported Bush's choice.
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), said, "He has a proven record of leadership and a passion for science and exploration. I welcome his nomination."
The Applied Physics Lab expressed excitement about Griffin's nomination. Helen Worth, Public Information Officer at the APL, said of Griffin's nomination, "Dr. Griffin has an enviable background of accomplishments that makes him very well suited for the demanding job as [NASA] Administrator, and APL is thrilled with his nomination. We expect he will receive Senate approval and go on to be one of NASA's most talented leaders. We're proud to have one of our own singled out for such an honor."
