Former astronaut Pam Melroy confirmed as NASA deputy administrator

NASA’s high two jobs at the moment are formally crammed.

The U.S. Senate confirmed former astronaut Pam Melroy as NASA deputy administrator on Thursday (June 17), about six weeks after doing the identical for area company chief Invoice Nelson.

“It is an honor to be confirmed by the Senate to function NASA deputy administrator, and I’m humbled by President Biden and Vice President Harris’ confidence in me,” Melroy stated in an announcement.

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“I stay up for returning to the NASA household and dealing with Administrator Nelson to make sure the USA continues to steer in area and past — exploring the wonders of the universe, increasing the Earth science analysis crucial to combating local weather change, unlocking scientific discoveries that can change the world as we all know it and provoking the following technology of discoverers and dreamers,” she added.

Melroy’s affirmation was by no means actually unsure. She obtained broad bipartisan assist throughout her Senate affirmation listening to final month, and her resume is extraordinarily robust. 

Melroy served within the U.S. Air Pressure earlier than becoming a member of NASA. She flew three area shuttle missions, piloting STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002 and commanding STS-120 in 2007. She is one in all solely two ladies, together with NASA astronaut Eileen Collins, to command a shuttle mission.

After retiring from NASA in 2009, she took a number of high-profile jobs within the aerospace and protection sectors. She labored at Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), for instance, and served as deputy director of the Tactical Expertise Workplace on the Protection Superior Analysis Tasks Company (DARPA).

She additionally has Nelson’s full assist.

“Pam is a pioneer and veteran of NASA, and can be an excellent chief as we enterprise farther out to the celebs,” Nelson, a former Democratic senator from Florida, stated in the identical assertion. “We actually are fortunate to have her on board, and I stay up for main NASA together with her as a group.”

Melroy wasn’t the one particular person to get a thumbs-up from the Senate on Thursday. The chamber additionally confirmed oceanographer Rick Spinrad as chief of the U.S. Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which companions with NASA on some Earth-observing missions.

Mike Wall is the creator of “Out There” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a e-book concerning the seek for alien life. Observe him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Fb. 

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