SpaceWatch Middle East Advisory Board member Scott Pace contender for top NASA post

The election of Donald J. Trump as the United States’ next President has obviously divided opinion in America and around the world, but one possible appointment to the Trump administration that all of us at SpaceWatch Middle East can get behind would be Professor Scott Pace as the next administrator of the American space agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Professor Pace is currently the Director of the Space Policy Institute at the George Washington University in Washington, DC, and is also a member of the Advisory Board of SpaceWatch Middle East. As President-elect Trump works to form his first administration, he has for his consideration several names for the NASA administrator job, that currently include former astronaut Eileen Collins; Mike Griffin, who was NASA administrator under President George W. Bush; Representative Jim Bridenstine, a Republican Congressman from Oklahoma; and Professor Scott Pace.

All of the contenders for the job would make fine NASA administrators, but since we are unabashedly biased on this matter, SpaceWatch Middle East sincerely believes that the best person for the job is, of course, Scott Pace.

On the off-chance that President-elect Trump is among our many and esteemed readers, SpaceWatch Middle East urges the President-elect to select Professor Pace as his NASA administrator for the following reasons:

• Professor Pace is undoubtedly the world’s preeminent expert on space policy;
• He has extensive experience in NASA headquarters and understands how it works, its strengths and its weaknesses;
• Yet he combines this government experience with original and bold thinking and vision that can ensure that NASA remains the most cutting-edge space agency in the world;
• He enjoys excellent relations with key stakeholders in NASA’s future – academia, industry, and international partners;
• And, Professor Pace has the respect of colleagues and peers across the political spectrum and the global space community.

As has already been mentioned, we are unashamedly biased. But even if we were neutral, any examination of Professor Pace’s experience and background would make clear that he is the best man for the job.

Original published at: http://spacewatchme.com/2016/11/spacewatch-middle-east-advisory-board-member-scott-pace-contender-top-nasa-post/