Jim Bridenstine leaves Artemis program ‘in good shape’ for Biden’s NASA - The Verge

Donald Trump’s NASA chief leaves on a bipartisan note, handing the Artemis program off to President Biden.

At 12PM ET today, Jim Bridenstine officially stepped down from his role as NASA administrator.

In anticipation of President Joe Biden taking office and the Senate transitioning to Democratic control, Bridenstine, a Republican, spent his final days as administrator making one last push for the Artemis program, a parting bid to insulate the program from potential cancellation.

The $850 million for NASA marks the first time Congress agreed to fund a human lunar lander since the Apollo program.

On Wednesday, Bridenstine tweeted a final message as administrator in an emotional three-minute video, emphasizing that “eliminating division” is key to enabling long-term success for Artemis and welcoming the next administrator who will inherit the program.

Steve Jurczyk, NASA’s former number two under Bridenstine, assumed the role of acting administrator at noon once Biden was sworn in.

President Biden is expected to pick a woman to fill the NASA administrator role, which has only been occupied by men since the agency’s founding in 1958.