A month ago, at the XCOR press conference, Mike Kelly told me about this possibility, but asked me to keep it confidential. But now Charles Lurio says that it’s official. Mike is taking the position of Chief Engineer for FAA-AST, reporting directly to George Nield. I can’t think of a better man for the spot, given his long history as chairman of the COMSTAC RLV working group, and long-standing support of reusable vehicles.

Congratulations. It’s good news for Mike, and good news for the space industry. And since it’s not (at least that I’m aware of) a political position, there’s a good chance that he would survive a change of administration, even if George doesn’t.