NASA is an independent government bureaucracy, meaning that it does not fall under one of the cabinet departments-like the Department of State. As such, the leader of NASA is an administrator rather than a secretary.
Although the name differs, a NASA administrator has similar duties and responsibilities as a cabinet secretary. They help make decisions about which major programs and policies should be pursued and how they're carried out.
NASA administrators are also accountable to elected officials. Administrators are appointed by the president but must be confirmed by the Senate. Congress has a great deal to say about the budget that NASA gets each year.
Although major decisions like these are often out of their hands, NASA administrators still have a lot of influence behind the scenes.
Collection
[
|
...
]