Bush Names Physicist, Exploration Advocate as NASA Chief

President Bush on Friday announced his choice of Johns Hopkins University physicist Michael D. Griffin, a strong advocate of robotic and manned space exploration, to become the new head of NASA.

If confirmed by the Senate, Griffin -- head of the space department at Johns Hopkins’ Applied Physics Laboratory -- would replace Sean O’Keefe, who led the space agency through three tumultuous years that included the triumphant Mars rover missions as well as the Columbia space shuttle disaster.

The designation of Griffin comes at a critical time for NASA, which is weeks away from returning the space shuttle to flight after being on hiatus since the 2003 Columbia accident, which killed seven astronauts.

The agency is also under new pressure to carry out Bush’s ambition to return humans to the moon and then venture on to Mars at a time of war and huge budget deficits.

Space enthusiasts were quick to praise Griffin, saying his vision of the nation’s future in space should meld well with the president’s.

“Mike is an excellent choice because of his passion for space exploration, his technical expertise and his long experience in space-flight engineering,” said Wes Huntress, president of the Planetary Society in Pasadena.

“NASA has a wonderful and inspiring mission before it, and Dr. Griffin is the right captain for this ship,” said George Whitesides, executive director of the National Space Society, an advocacy group founded by NASA pioneer Wernher von Braun.

NASA has been divided for years by conflicting visions of America’s future in space, with some lining up behind low-Earth-orbit science using the space shuttle and the International Space Station.

Griffin’s nomination represents a victory for the other camp, which views the shuttle as little more than a balky space pickup and the space station as a floating motel. This group favors venturing to other planets, both by way of robots and manned missions.

Griffin was a team leader for a report issued last year by the Planetary Society, “Extending Human Presence Into the Solar System.” The report called for a two-step process to build a new space transportation vehicle to replace the shuttle.

Also pleased with Griffin’s nomination were influential members of Congress who had been openly critical of O’Keefe, who left the post last month to take over as chancellor at Louisiana State University.

“Mike Griffin is an outstanding choice,” said Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, (D-Md.). “He has the right combination of experience in industry, academia and government service. He has a proven record of leadership and a passion for science and exploration.”

One of the thorniest questions facing the new administrator, and one that Mikulski is passionate about, is what to do about the Hubble Space Telescope. A popular program with the public, Hubble has captured eye-popping images of deep space and the menagerie of strange objects lurking there, including pulsars, brown dwarfs and warring galaxies.

Hubble could fail as early as 2007 unless a faulty gyroscope is replaced and other repairs are made. O’Keefe refused to allow the shuttle to service the telescope, saying it would not be safe. The only destination allowed for the shuttle under NASA’s beefed-up safety policy is the International Space Station, which could provide a safe haven for astronauts if the orbiter is damaged on launch.

Foam debris from the shuttle’s external fuel tank hit one of the Columbia’s wings during launch in 2003, tearing a hole in the carbon-carbon wing edge. The crew had no way to know what happened. The craft was destroyed on reentry.

Griffin has not tipped his hand on Hubble. Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society, said he expected Griffin to take a cautious approach toward the space telescope and would wait to see how the revamped shuttle performed before taking a firm position.

The next shuttle flight, a shakedown cruise to test new safety equipment, including imaging devices to alert the crew to any damage to the hull, is scheduled for May 15. Plans call for the shuttle to be retired once the space station is completed, which could happen as early as 2010.

Griffin’s background includes experience in civil, military and commercial space ventures. Before taking the job as director of the space department at the Applied Physics Laboratory, he served as NASA’s associate administrator for exploration.

Griffin worked on the controversial Strategic Defense Initiative, a Reagan administration plan to build a space-based missile defense system. He played a key role in the first space intercept of a ballistic missile.

Griffin was executive vice president at Orbital Sciences Corp., in Dulles, Va., and worked on planetary missions for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge.

He was born in Aberdeen, Md., and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins and George Washington University.