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Pat Duggins
Pat Duggins
Senior News Analyst
pduggins@wmfe.org


 

January 6, 2008—NASA’s current administrator Michael Griffin is reportedly preparing to depart from the Space Agency’s top job later this month. I spoke with one possible successor who might be tapped to take over—former NASA astronaut Charles Bolden.

 

When news broke that CNN Medical Reporter Dr. Sanjay Gupta would be Mr. Obama’s choice for Surgeon General, observers pointed to his extensive foreign travel for the network and his time as a White House fellow in the 1990’s. So, when Charles Bolden’s name was floated as one possibility to head up NASA, his resume prompted a similar reaction. The four-time Space Shuttle veteran flew with then-Congressman Bill Nelson aboard Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986. His final flight

during STS-60 was historic for having the first Russian Cosmonaut as a member of a Shuttle crew. After leaving the astronaut corp., he served on a number of advisory panels for the agency.

 

I spoke with General Bolden at his home in Houston. He says he’s honored to be considered for the job, but he urges everyone to take a deep breath and let the transition team do its work. Bolden says, at this point, no one from the Obama team has contacted him.

 

On the book front, I’ll be heading to UCF for a speaking engagement next week. Then, it’s off to the Panhandle the week after next for some book signings week after next. “Final Countdown” goes into paperback in March.  

 

More to come…  

 

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