Bill Nelson

Bill Nelson is administrator of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), since 2021. A Democrat, he was previously a U.S. senator representing Florida from 2001 to 2019 and a U.S. representative from 1979 to 1991. Nelson was ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee and chaired the science and space subcommittees in both chambers. From 1972 to 1978, he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives. In 1986, Nelson trained and flew with the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia, conducting 12 medical experiments over six days as the shuttle orbited Earth 98 times. Early in his career, he served on active duty for two years in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of captain.