Jim Bridenstine Says He Will Step Down As NASA Administrator Under Biden

Former Oklahoma Representative Jim Bridenstine says he will step down from his position as NASA Administrator after President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in.

Bridenstine told Aerospace Daily that his decision is in NASA's best interests and not for partisan reasons.

“The right question here is ‘What’s in the best interest of NASA as an agency, and what’s in the best interest of America's exploration program?’ said Bridenstine. “For that, what you need is somebody who has a close relationship with the President of the United States. You need somebody who is trusted by the administration including the OMB (Office of Management and Budget), the National Space Council and the National Security Council, and I think that I would not be the right person for that in a new administration,” Bridenstine said.

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“We’ve had a lot of success, but it's because of relationships,” Bridenstine said. “You have to have those relationships. Whoever the president is, they have to have somebody they know and trust and somebody the administration trusts. That person is not going to be me. We are in a good position as a country. If you look at the bipartisan, apolitical support that we have from members of Congress on both sides of the aisle there is strong support for Artemis,” Bridenstine said, in reference to NASA's plan to send men and women to the Moon and Mars.

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“There is a political agreement that America needs to do big things in space exploration, that we need to lead the world. There have been lessons learned from the past and I think Congress is in a good position to make sure that we have sustainable programs going forward. The thing I think is most important is to have continuity of purpose, and I think right now we have that as much as you possibly can,” he added.

Bridenstine says he has no plans for what he will do after leaving NASA other than he will return to Oklahoma.