President Joe Biden will appoint former NASA astronaut and Air Force Colonel Pamela Melroy to become deputy administrator of NASA, according to a White House announcement on Friday (April 16th).
Biden had announced the nomination of former Florida Senator Bill Nelson to lead the agency in March; both nominations must be approved by the Senate. As an astronaut, Melroy was one of two women to command the space shuttle.
“It is a great honor to be nominated by President Biden to support Senator Nelson and to help lead NASA,” Melroy said in a statement obtained by Florida Today. “The agency is critical to America’s fight to combat climate change and maintain leadership in space.”
Related: The second female commander of the shuttle tells the joys of space flight, the challenges
As a NASA astronaut, Melroy flew three space shuttle missions during the construction of the International Space Station, including two flights on Discovery and one on Atlantis, according to NASA biography. She was the commander of the mission of her last flight in 2007, joining Eileen Collins as the only two women to command the space shuttle.
When not flying alone, Melroy acted as Capsule Communicator, the person in Mission Control who speaks to crew members in space and other support roles. In addition, he served on two teams that NASA assembled following the loss of the Columbia space shuttle in 2003 to collect debris and investigate the disaster.
Melroy had served in the Air Force before becoming an astronaut. He retired from NASA in 2009 to work first for the Federal Aviation Administration and then for the Agency for Advanced Defense Research Projects (DARPA). Following her November election, Biden selected her to serve on NASA’s review team, which helped ease her transition to the agency.
Nelson’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Trade, Science and Transportation is scheduled for Wednesday (April 21st). During his time in the Senate, Nelson sat on the same committee.
“I think Pam Melroy will be a great partner to help lead NASA,” Bill Nelson said in a statement obtained by Florida Today. “Pam has long technical and leadership experience that will help NASA in its mission to explore the cosmos, expand climate change research, and ensure that the technologies developed by NASA benefit life here on Earth.”
NASA Interim Administrator Steve Jurczyk also welcomed the decision in a statement released today by NASA.
“Pam’s experience as an astronaut, space shuttle commander and test pilot of the US Air Force would bring NASA a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing the agency,” Jurczyk said. “Pam is driven by the desire to solve the biggest problems here on Earth, in the entire solar system and beyond. She is a proven leader with a bold vision and, if confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to working with her. and Sen. Nelson will ensure NASA’s future success. “
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comments from NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk. Email Meghan Bartels at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.