Time Magazine named NASA Administrator Michael Griffin one of the 100 most influential people for his work leading the space agency toward renewed exploration missions far beyond low Earth orbit.
Griffin, facing tight budget constraints that barred a major funding increase to develop the Orion-Ares system that will take astronauts deep into space, nonetheless has made it all work.
The next-generation space system is under contract, with plans for the first manned flight seven years from now.
"With advanced degrees in half a dozen fields and experience managing military and civilian space programs, he was the ideal choice when President George W. Bush needed a new NASA administrator to manage the moon-Mars initiative he announced in 2004," the magazine noted, terming Griffin a true engineer who "understands systems–whether they are rockets, satellites, airplanes or the U.S. Congress."
He is, the magazine stated, "the kind of person who will see that the job gets done."
