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Dr. Michael Douglas Griffin (born November 1 , 1949 in Aberdeen , Maryland ) is the current NASA Administrator. As the chief of America's space agency, Dr. Griffin is responsible for such areas as the future of Human Spaceflight and the fate of the Hubble Telescope . Upon assuming the leadership of NASA, Dr Griffin quickly became known for an agenda of aggressive change for the agency, as well as for his self-deprecating candor, introducing himself as "a simple aerospace engineer from a small town." He began pronouncing his new agenda as early as his Senate confirmation hearing (see Current Plans For NASA below). He had previously worked at NASA including as Associate Administrator for Exploration. When he was nominated as NASA chief, Dr Griffin was working as the head of the Space Department at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel , Maryland . CURRENT PLANS FOR NASA Dr. Griffin strongly supports President Bush 's plan to Return Humans To The Moon And Mars , a plan that was also strongly supported by Dr Griffin's predecessor as NASA chief, Sean O'Keefe . However, the broad agreement between Dr Griffin and O'Keefe has not extended to every aspect of NASA, as Griffin has shown a willingness to reconsider some of his predecessor's specific decisions:
LONG-TERM VISION FOR SPACE Griffin appears to have a long-term interest in the human settlement of space. In 2004 testimony to Congress on the future of human spaceflight, he stated, "for me the single overarching goal of human space flight is the human settlement of the solar system, and eventually beyond. I can think of no lesser purpose sufficient to justify the difficulty of the enterprise, and no greater purpose is possible." In his testimony he also advocated heavy-lift launch capabilities, development of space qualified nuclear power systems, In Situ resource utilization, and cost-effective medium-size transport to Low Earth Orbit . Griffin is also known as a long-time, passionate space enthusiast. He told a Senate subcommittee that the first book he ever received was a book on astronomy and space when he was five years old, and "I was absolutely fascinated by it, and from that time forward, I never considered for myself anything other than being a scientist or engineer or mathematician and involving myself in the space business." Griffin has collaborated with several space advocacy organizations such as the National Space Society , Mars Society and the Planetary Society :
POLITICAL SUPPORT Griffin appears to enjoy the support of many in the space business, and in politics (both Democrat and Republican ). Many observers note his willingness to question old ways of doing things, and praise his emphasis on "small, smart spacecraft instead of big, expensive ones", while deputy director of the SDI . Robert Zubrin , president of the Mars Society , has said that "Mike is the right man, in the right place, at the right time." Griffin is supported by many in the scientific community. The chief scientist of NASA's upcoming Unmanned Mission To Pluto , S. Alan Stern , says that "I really think he will be the best administrator that NASA has had in decades. I expect he will make NASA shine." Wesley Huntress of the Carnegie Institution says, "Mike is an excellent choice because of his passion for space exploration, his technical expertise and his long experience in space flight engineering. He resonates with the President's new vision for space and will add a down-to-earth insistence on logic and realism." However, Griffin's initial honeymoon of support may fade once he begins to make the hard budgetary decisions necessitated by NASA's current budget squeeze. Although NASA's budget has been increasing slightly over the past few years, the budget is insufficient to fully fund every program in NASA's portfolio. Griffin will have to allocate money between such areas as Earth Science , Aeronautics research, Human Spaceflight , and Astrophysics research. One area that has had its funding drastically reduced is the life science research program based on the Space Station, and conducted largely out of NASA Ames Research Center . Two representatives of the Ames life sciences group wrote a scathing letter to Griffin criticizing this cut. Funding for a New York company to research the Prometheus space nuclear program has also been put on hold, although Griffin has said he is anxious to pursue Prometheus after the earlier-priority development of the new spacecraft is completed. CAREER Griffin's prior experience includes a previous stop at APL in the 1980s , when he helped design the successful Delta 180 series of missile-defense technology satellites for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization . After leaving APL in 1986 , he served as the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization’s deputy for technology, and as the chief engineer and later Associate Administrator for Exploration at NASA Headquarters. In 1993 , Michael Griffin wrote a letter criticizing certain problems in the design review process for the International Space Station . According to one report, his career suffered as a result, though the incident was taken as a strong indicator of Griffin's personal integrity. {Link without Title} In the years following his first tour with NASA, Griffin was president and chief operating officer of In-Q-Tel , a private, non-profit enterprise funded by the Central Intelligence Agency to identify and invest in companies developing cutting-edge technologies that serve national security interests. Griffin’s resume also includes several leadership roles at Orbital Sciences Corporation and key technical positions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and at Computer Sciences Corporation . on June 28 , 2005 .]] Before his appointment as NASA Administrator, Griffin was president-elect of the American Institute Of Aeronautics And Astronautics (AIAA). He is a member of the American Astronautical Society and International Academy Of Astronautics . On March 11 , 2005 , President George W. Bush announced his intention to nominate Michael Griffin to serve as the 11th Administrator of NASA. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 13 , 2005 . EDUCATION Dr. Griffin holds seven degrees, and is pursuing his eighth. He is widely perceived by commentators to be motivated by intellectual curiosity and very well qualified to lead NASA. In chronological order of attainment, Dr. Griffin's degrees include:
Dr. Griffin was also working toward an MS in Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University before being appointed as NASA chief. By comparison, while almost all NASA astronauts hold multiple degrees, the highest number of degrees any NASA astronaut has had is six (see Story Musgrave ). Dr. Griffin has been a professor at various universities, teaching courses in spacecraft design, applied mathematics, guidance and navigation, compressible flow, Computational Fluid Dynamics , spacecraft attitude control, astrodynamics, and introductory aerospace engineering. He is the lead author of more than two dozen technical papers, and is co-author with James R. French of the graduate astronautical engineering textbook, "Space Vehicle Design." {Link without Title} Dr. Griffin is also a general aviation flight instructor and pilot, and part-owner of a small airplane. REFERENCES
EXTERNAL LINKS
Links related to nomination as NASA Administrator
Commentary on Griffin's nomination
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