US election: Nasa chief plans to step down after Biden takes charge

As president-elect Joe Biden takes the oath of office before assuming his duties as the 46th President of the United States of America, he will be losing a key member of the country’s space agency, according to reports.

Nasa chief Jim Bridenstine said he plans to step down from his role, even if Biden asks him to stay, according to a report in the Aviation Week Network.

Bridenstine said that the Biden administration would need a chief who was "trusted" by the incoming president.

"You need somebody who is trusted by the administration…. and I think that I would not be the right person for that in a new administration,” Bridenstine was quoted as saying in the report.

He said that Nasa needs a chief "who has a close relationship with the president of the United States."

“The right question here is ‘What’s in the best interest of Nasa as an agency, and what’s in the best interest of America's exploration program?’” he added.

Bridenstine was appointed by President Donald Trump as the the Administrator of Nasa, he has been in charge of the agency since 2018.

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