--- title: "Head of NASA Says He Works With a “Bunch of Wizards”" description: "NASA Administrator Bill Nelson isn't one to mince words, but in a recent interview, he used colorful language to describe his colleagues." date: "2024-06-10" modified: "2024-06-10" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-administrator-wizards" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "bill nelson" - "NASA" - "politics" - "the digest" --- # Head of NASA Says He Works With a “Bunch of Wizards” ![NASA Administrator Bill Nelson isn't one to mince words, but in a recent interview, he used colorful language to describe his colleagues.]() *\Image: Graeme Jennings / Pool via Getty / Futurism\* ## Wizarding World NASA Administrator Bill Nelson isn't one to [mince words]() — but in a recent interview, he did use a colorful turn of phrase to describe his colleagues at the space agency. Speaking to [South Florida's *Local 10 News*](), Nelson described, apropos to almost nothing, his NASA colleagues as "a bunch of wizards" The quip came in response to a reporter's light-hearted closer question at the end of an interview that primarily focused on the [seemingly cursed Boeing Starliner mission]() and the space race with China, the latter of which Nelson has [sounded off on]() using [interesting language]() more than once. "Are you having fun?" asked newscaster Glenna Miberg. "I mean, last we saw of you, you were in the Florida Senate and now you're the top rocket scientist." True to his down-home manner, Nelson laughingly responded by characterizing himself as a "country lawyer... who happened to get a chance to fly in space almost four decades ago" — a reference, of course, to his six-day trip amongst the stars on the [Space Shuttle Columbia]() in 1986. ## Packed Resume Both before and after his first stint at NASA in the 80s, [Nelson represented Florida]() in Congress. As the career civil servant maintains, his turns as the head of the Subcommittees on Science and Space in both the House and the Senate provided the Florida native with the right stuff to run the agency. "I'm glad that I can now use what I've learned over the years, including the chairmanship of the \[space subcommittee\] in the Senate, and now try to offer some leadership," Nelson said. Indeed, it's clear from this interview and other previous remarks that the NASA administrator not only expresses some serious gratitude over his role at its helm, but also that he greatly admires the mythical beings he works with at the agency. "It's hard to believe today marks three years since I was sworn in as NASA Administrator," [Nelson tweeted last month](). "What a privilege I have to work every day with the wizards of @NASA." "We've expanded American leadership in space, in the skies, and here on Earth — for the benefit of all," he continued. "Let's keep going." **More on NASA:** [*NASA Slaps Down Billionaire's Plan to Fly Up and Fix Hubble Space Telescope*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()