End Of An Era
Daniel S. Goldin, who is the longest-serving head of the nation's space agency, announced Wednesday that he is resigning from NASA effective Nov. 17.
"This morning I sent a letter of resignation to the President of the United States," an emotional Goldin told employees of the space agency on NASA's television station. I told him how honored I was to have served under him. I told him the happiest moment of my life was when I was sworn in by his father as the NASA administrator."
"I love this agency," Goldin, 61, said. "I wish I could be here for decades. But it's time."
Goldin was appointed in 1992 and has supervised major changes in the space agency, including the launch and construction of the International Space Station. He is the longest serving NASA administrator.
During his tenure, Goldin originated a new way of constructing and launching space missions, a philosophy he called "faster, better, cheaper."
Working with reduced budgets, NASA still managed under Goldin to launch a major effort to explore Mars, redesign and begin construction on the International Space Station and to reduce the cost of operating the space shuttle.
The Mars exploration program was set back by two successive failures of space probes that disappeared around the Red Planet. Another probe is expected to go into orbit of Mars later this month.
Goldin as administrator guided an increased emphasis in the NASA budget on scientific research and started a program that covers studies of astrobiology, which includes the search for life-harboring planets beyond the solar system.
During his tenure, there were 57 successful space shuttle missions and the agency launched some $23 billion in spacecraft into orbit.
No replacement has been named, but Goldin said he is working with the Bush administration to select an interim acting administrator.
A NASA release said Goldin is accepting a position with the Council on Competitiveness, an organization of corporate executives, university presidents and labor leaders that seeks to improve U.S. leadership in world markets.
© MMI, CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press and Reuters Limited contributed to this report