Obama Picks Former Astronaut to Head NASA

Earlier today President Barack Obama picked former astronaut Charles Bolden to head NASA. As an astronaut, Bolden made four trips into space, commanding two of those missions. At the age of 62, Bolden will become the first African American and the second astronaut to to lead the space agency, assuming Senate confirmation.

The Orlando Sentinel's Mark Matthews reports that Bolden may run into issues stemming from his previous employment at two companies that have ties to Constellation, a program likely to replace the space shuttle. "If Bolden is unable to deal with Constellation decisions because of his past ties," Matthews writes, "it would severely limit his ability to lead the space agency."

According to AP writer Seth Borenstein, Bolden is well-liked within the agency, which Borenstein characterizes as "turbulent". He writes, "The shuttle's replacement won't be ready until at least 2015, so for five years the only way Americans will be able to get in space is by hitching a ride on a Russian space capsule. And some of NASA's biggest science programs are over budget."

In 2002, President George W. Bush decided against Bolden, his top choice to head NASA, because the Pentagon asked to keep Bolden, then a Marine general.