While Scott Hubbard’s departure from the top job at NASA’s Ames Research Center wasn’t a surprise—rumors that he was resigning, or being pushed out, dated back over a month—what is interesting is the support he had among members of Congress. The San Francisco Chronicle reports today that four members of Congress from the Silicon Valley area—Reps. Anna Eshoo, Mike Honda, Tom Lantos, and Zoe Lofgren, all Democrats—sent a letter to Mike Griffin expressing their “deepest concern” about losing Hubbard:
“Since assuming the directorship of Ames Research Center, (Hubbard) has proven time and again to be an invaluable public servant, guiding Ames through difficult times and inspiring confidence in everyone around him,” they wrote. “His rumored removal would send exactly the wrong signal to Ames’ dedicated workforce.
“Furthermore,” the letter continued, “among industry and academic circles, it will signal a lack of confidence in the innovative partnerships director Hubbard has forged and jeopardize their continued success.”
