MSFC to Manage Artemis Lander

[Proponent]

Looks like things are proceeding swimmingly already: https://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=4627

This is Bridenstine's second run-in with Congress, the first being when he suggested flying EM-1 without SLS. At least the first battle was over something significant. I thought working with Congress was supposed to be Mr. B's forte.

EDIT:  Added link to GWH's post to provide context.

This is working with congress. By giving the lander to Marshall, he has gained the support of Senator that decides whether or not funding for Artemis will even get voted on in the Senate. He may have annoyed the Texas delegation in the process, but it's probably just bark. There is a lot of Texas that isn't Houston, and most Texans care abut 300 new jobs not being created in Houston about as much as they would care about 300 new jobs not being created in Alabama. I suspect that at least the Senators from Texas will still vote pro-Artemis.

... hopefully that wasn't too political. Apologies if it was.

I would think that working with Congress would involve building a compromise quietly, before the Texas delegation went public.

[jadebenn]

I'm not sure if this was posted earlier or not, but Jim Bridenstine was apparently not very happy with the article in the OP.

Twitter Link

If you see this as a political move to please Shelby (I'm on the fence), then you could see it as a calculated risk on Jim's part. JSC is already managing many aspects of the Artemis program. Any possible retaliation would hurt JSC just as much as it'd hurt MSFC. Thus, while the legislators might complain, he knows they won't do anything drastic.