Bush nominates Griffin to head NASA

WASHINGTON, March 11 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush said Friday he intends to nominate Michael D. Griffin to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Griffin currently serves as head of the space department at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Baltimore. He previously served at NASA under President George H.W. Bush as associate administrator for exploration. He holds seven degrees in physics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, civil engineering, and business administration.

Griffin will replace Sean O'Keefe, who presided over the agency as it faced some of its biggest challenges, including shuttle Columbia's disintegration over Texas on Feb. 1, 2003, during its attempt to re-enter the atmosphere, the impending loss of the Hubble Space Telescope, and the beginning of the president's new space exploration vision.

O'Keefe left the agency last month to become chancellor of Louisiana State University.