NASA may finally be getting a leader—Oklahoma pilot Jim Bridenstine

Enlarge / Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) is likely to be NASA’s next administrator. (credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

NASA may finally be close to getting some clarity about its leadership during the Trump administration. On Tuesday, NASA Watch reported that the President will nominate US Representative Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) as administrator and Aerojet Rocketdyne Vice President John Schumacher as deputy administrator. Both men have been rumored to be nominated for these posts in recent weeks, but there have been no official confirmations as yet.

Two sources familiar with Washington, DC, space politics confirmed the choices to Ars, but one of them offered a caveat. “I have heard same from multiple sources, but this is Trump world,” one DC-based source said.

A formal announcement has been in the works for September, but a date and location have not yet been set. “To the best of my knowledge, there have been no White House announcements on this subject matter at this time,” NASA’s associate administrator for communications, Jen Rae Wang, told Ars on Tuesday evening.