Gration off shortlist to be NASA chief

Here is more on retired Air Force Gen. Scott Gration coming off the shortlist to be the next NASA administrator.

From FLORIDA TODAY's Eun Kyung Kim in Washington:

WASHINGTON - Scratch Scott Gration off the shortlist to be the next NASA administrator.

President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that he plans to appoint the retired Air Force general as his special envoy to Sudan.

The role may be a better fit than the NASA gig for Gration, an Obama loyalist who grew up in Africa as the son of missionaries.

"I have worked closely and directly with Gen. Gration for several years, and have traveled with him to refugee camps in Chad filled with those who were displaced by the genocide in Darfur," Obama said in a statement. "He is a valued personal friend and I am pleased he has accepted this assignment. He knows the region, has broad experience, and has my complete confidence."

Earlier this year, Gration was floated as a contender for NASA chief, but that idea received a cool reception from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and other critics who argued Gration lacked space experience.

A handful of candidates still remain as possible administrator contenders, including Steve Isakowitz, a former NASA official now with the Energy Department, former astronaut Charles Bolden Jr. and retired Air Force general Lester Lyles.