Leaders of NASA sit in an awkward position. While they are the head of a widely recognized organization, they’re often not the most famous individual in the agency. More people probably know the names of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the astronauts currently “stranded” on the International Space Station, than Bill Nelson, the current NASA administrator.
Astronauts might be the people most closely associated with NASA, but administrators are arguably more integral to getting programs off the ground.
As a space policy expert, I’ve seen the impact that individual NASA leaders can have on NASA’s success. They play a vital role in deciding what NASA does and how it does it, and they also help build political support for space exploration.
The role of the NASA administrator
NASA is an independent government bureaucracy, meaning that it does not fall under one of the cabinet departments – like the Department of State. As such, the leader of NASA is an administrator rather than a secretary.
Although the name differs, a NASA administrator has similar duties and responsibilities as a cabinet secretary. They help make decisions about which major programs and policies should be pursued and how they’re carried out. NASA administrators work with partners in industry, including the commercial space industry. They also represent NASA while presenting to Congress and during diplomatic relations with other countries.
NASA administrators are also accountable to elected officials. Administrators are appointed by the president but must be confirmed by the Senate. Congress has a great deal to say about the budget that NASA gets each year. They also must authorize major programs, like the Artemis program, which aims to return the U.S. and its partners to the Moon.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson presents the agency’s budget to a congressional committee in 2023.
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Although major decisions like these are often out of their hands, NASA administrators still have a lot of influence behind the scenes. James Webb, NASA’s second administrator, who held the office between 1961 and 1968, is often credited as being integral in maintaining political support for the Apollo program.
Dan Goldin, the longest-serving NASA administrator, helped save the International Space Station from cancellation in the early 1990s by convincing the Clinton administration to invite Russia’s participation.
As administrator in the early 2000s, Mike Griffin helped jump-start the commercial space industry by instituting the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. This program provided funding to companies who would first send cargo to the International Space Station, and then later, astronauts.
However, not all administrators are as productive as Webb, Goldin or Griffin. Richard Truly was fired from the post by George H.W. Bush in 1992 after disagreeing with the administration’s 1989…
