WASHINGTON — A highly decorated fighter pilot, close to President-elect Barack Obama but almost completely unknown to the space community, has emerged as the top candidate to run the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, three sources close to the Obama transition team said Wednesday.
Retired Maj. Gen. Jonathan Scott Gration traveled through Africa with Obama in 2006 and served as a military adviser to him during the campaign. He spoke at the Democratic National Convention, recalling his early life as the son of missionaries in the Congo.
Sources said the selection is not a done deal, but a formal announcement could precede Obama’s inauguration. Gration, who retired from the Air Force in 2006, could not be reached for comment. His possible nomination was reported Tuesday night on the websites NASA Watch and .
