Huntsville, Alabama – October 29, 2025
At the recent AAS von Braun Space Exploration Symposium, two former NASA Administrators — Charles Bolden and Jim Bridenstine — reflected candidly on the pressures, politics, and promise of leading America’s space agency for an audience that included students, policymakers, and industry leaders. The wide-ranging discussion, led by Mike French, Founder of the Space Policy Group, and sponsored by Northrop Grumman, offered a rare bipartisan window into the inner workings of NASA and the future of U.S. space exploration.
[Video of the full segment is available here.]
The Most Political Job in Washington
Bridenstine, who led NASA from April 2018 to January 2021, opened the session by noting that his former post was “the most political job I’ve ever had.” “People think the NASA Administrator is about technology and rockets,” he said. “But the reality is you spend your days working with the White House, OMB, OSTP, the National Space Council, and Congress—each with their own ideas about what NASA should be doing.”
He described the intricate balancing act of aligning the President’s priorities with congressional budgets, all while traveling the globe to persuade international partners to increase their own space funding. “If we’re going to return to the Moon and move on to Mars,” Bridenstine said, “our budgets—and those of our partners—have to go up. This stuff is expensive.”
Bolden, who led NASA from July 2009 to January 2017, nodded knowingly. “You think you understand Washington until you get that job,” he said with a laugh. “I was a Marine. I knew how to lead Marines. I didn’t know a thing about the politics of D.C.”
He recounted early struggles navigating between the White House and Congress, emphasizing that success depended on cooperation across Pennsylvania Avenue. “There are two ends of that street,” Bolden said. “Neither dominates. If they don’t work together, we don’t go anywhere.”
Learning Leadership the Hard Way
Bolden described his first two years as “terrible,” crediting NASA veterans for helping him learn how to manage a politically charged environment while staying true to the agency’s mission. Bridenstine, in turn, praised Bolden’s tenure and the continuity of NASA’s achievements from one administration to the next.
“Charlie finished the International Space Station,” Bridenstine said. “I built on that legacy with Artemis. Every administrator inherits long-term programs—nothing happens overnight in space.”
Both men emphasized that perspective is crucial. Bolden said his view of Earth from space transformed him into “a rabid environmentalist,” while Bridenstine spoke of earning the trust of astronauts and engineers who must literally risk their lives on the agency’s decisions.
The Artemis Debate: Beating China to the Moon
The former administrators also weighed in on NASA’s current challenges, particularly the evolving architecture of the Artemis lunar program.
Bridenstine argued that NASA needs “alignment” between political goals and technical plans. “If our leaders say we’re going to beat China to the Moon,” he said, “then we need programs that can actually do that.” He suggested a “Skunk Works-style” approach to fast-track a new lunar lander under presidential authority, describing the effort as a “national security imperative.”
Bolden agreed on the need for clear goals but cautioned against artificial timelines. “We’re never going to get there if the goal is just to do it by the end of a term,” he said. “Let’s be real. Industry isn’t driven by political deadlines. Tell them how much money they have and let them plan a realistic schedule.”
Both men warned that overcomplicated architectures—such as those requiring multiple SpaceX Starship refueling launches—make meeting strategic objectives nearly impossible. “If it takes 11 launches to get one crew to the Moon,” Bolden said, “we’re never going to make it.”
Former NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine, speaking at the 2025 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium.
NASA’s Broader Mission and the Public’s Stake
When asked why ordinary Americans should care about space, Bolden responded without hesitation: “How are you getting to Grandma’s house this afternoon? GPS. What time is it? That’s space. Did you get your money out of an ATM? Space again.”
Bridenstine expanded on that list: “Weather forecasting, agriculture, national defense, communications, navigation, climate monitoring—all of it depends on space. It’s not about rockets; it’s about daily life.”
The two former administrators agreed that NASA’s strength lies in uniting science, technology, and diplomacy. “The Chinese work on 50-year plans,” Bolden warned. “We’re arguing about fiscal years. If we can’t get both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to align, we’re going nowhere.”
On Budgets, Bureaucracy, and the Next Generation
The conversation turned sober when the topic shifted to current funding cuts and government shutdowns. Both speakers voiced concern that NASA’s workforce—particularly its young talent—is being hollowed out.
“The most damaging thing isn’t the money,” Bolden said. “It’s the talent we’re losing. People don’t wait around for the phone to ring. Once they leave, it’s a generational loss.”
Former NASA administrator, Charles Bolden, speaking at the 2025 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium.
Bridenstine echoed the sentiment but expressed optimism that Congress would eventually stabilize NASA’s funding. “Administrations come and go,” he said, “but Congress is what gives permanence. We just need to take a breath and not panic.”
Advice to Students: Start Somewhere
In a closing exchange with the students in attendance, Bolden offered practical advice. “Get a job—any job,” he told one computer science major worried about the impact of artificial intelligence on hiring. “It’s hard to get the job you want if you’re not working. Follow your passion and work your way up.”
Bridenstine smiled and added, “If you’re studying computer science, you’re already in a good place. Space—and NASA—will always need you.”
A Final Thought
For all their differences in background and politics, Bolden and Bridenstine found common ground on one essential truth: space exploration is a unifying human endeavor.
“It’s not magic,” Bolden said. “It’s numbers, budgets, and people working together.”
Bridenstine nodded. “And if we do that right,” he said, “we’ll not only reach the Moon again—we’ll stay there.”
More on this discussion:
- SpacePolicyOnline: Bolden, Bridenstine Share Their Views on Artemis
- Space News: Former NASA administrators call for changes in Artemis lunar lander architecture
- Spaceflight Now: Former NASA Administrators urge space agency to rethink plans for Artemis Moon lander
- Ars Technica: SpaceX teases simplified Starship as alarms sound over Moon landing delays
- [Video] Destin Sandlin (Smarter Every Day): I Was SCARED To Say This To NASA… (But I said it anyway)