Bill Nelson has officially stepped down as NASA Administrator, concluding a remarkable 53-year career in public service.
Nelson, along with NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, departed the agency on Monday (Jan. 20), coinciding with the start of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president. Trump has appointed Janet Petro, the former director of Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, as the interim NASA Administrator.
“As I leave public office today after 53 years, I am deeply humbled and grateful for the privilege of serving our nation,” Nelson shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Nelson, a longtime member of the Democratic Party, began his career in public service in 1972 when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. Six years later, he secured a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Florida’s 9th congressional district, an area closely linked to the state’s Space Coast, home to KSC and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
In January 1986, Nelson became the first sitting U.S. House member to fly into space, participating in the STS-61-C mission aboard the space shuttle Columbia. The mission’s pilot, Charlie Bolden, later served as NASA Administrator under President Barack Obama. Notably, STS-61-C was the final shuttle mission before the tragic Challenger disaster, which occurred on Jan. 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after liftoff.
Nelson pursued the Florida governorship in 1990 but lost the Democratic primary to Lawton Chiles. He later served as Florida’s Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, and Fire Marshal after winning the election in 1994, a role he held until his successful bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 2000. Nelson was re-elected to the Senate in 2006 and 2012 but narrowly lost to Republican Rick Scott in 2018.
In 2019, Nelson joined NASA’s advisory council, and in February 2021, President Joe Biden nominated him as NASA Administrator. The Senate confirmed his appointment two months later.
During Nelson’s tenure as NASA Administrator, the agency achieved several significant milestones, including the launch of the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, the Europa Clipper mission, the DART asteroid-deflection spacecraft, and the Artemis 1 moon mission. Artemis 1 marked the first step in NASA’s ambitious Artemis program, initiated during Trump’s first presidency.
Janet Petro has been appointed as interim NASA Administrator, but Trump has nominated billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman for the permanent position, pending Senate confirmation.
In a farewell message on X, Nelson shared his hopes for the agency’s future leadership, offering words of encouragement to Isaacman or any future administrator.
“We are merely temporary stewards of this extraordinary agency. NASA’s mission transcends individuals, nations, and generations. I am rooting for your success because NASA’s success is America’s success,” Nelson wrote in a heartfelt two-page letter.
He concluded by pledging his support to the agency and its leadership, saying, “I stand ready to assist in any way I can.”