Bolden Is Tapped to Run NASA

Photo: Former astronaut Charles Bolden Jr., shown at Beihang University in 2005, would be the first African-American to run NASA. His past ties to two big contractors for the agency have sparked opposition to the pick. SIPA/Newscom

From The Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama picked former astronaut and retired Marine Corps Gen. Charles Bolden Jr. to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, but controversy over his background and NASA's future direction could complicate his job.

Gen. Bolden's nomination caps months of political maneuvering, which has left some major agency decisions in limbo. It also has become a flash point for a broad debate over how NASA should conduct future human space-exploration programs.

Gen. Bolden was a NASA official in the early 1990s and more recently worked for two major NASA contractors. His critics contend he's too closely tied to existing NASA programs.

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