Huntsville’s Mark McDaniel appointed to NASA Advisory Committee

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Mo Brooks, Mark McDaniel
Rep. Mo Brooks, Mr. Mark McDaniel, and Administrator Jim Bridenstine (left to right) [Photo courtesy of Rep. Mo Brooks]

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the appointment of Huntsville’s Mark McDaniel to the Human Exploration and Operations Committee of the NASA Advisory Council (“NAC”) — NASA’s highest civilian advisory board.

Bridenstine tweeted the appointment on Wednesday while visiting the Rocket City.

“I’m proud to announce the appointment of Mr. Mark McDaniel to the Human Exploration and Operations subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). His legal and space expertise will serve our agency well,” he wrote.

Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks recommended McDaniel to Bridenstine, a personal friend and former House colleague of Brooks, to be a part of NAC.

Brooks praised the appointment saying, “Mark McDaniel’s experience and qualifications make him an excellent choice to advise NASA on its future missions. I congratulate Mark on his appointment and have confidence he will be a productive and constructive member of the committee.”

“I greatly appreciate my friend NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine for his thoughtful consideration in appointing Mark McDaniel. Jim’s leadership at NASA has been exemplary, and I am glad he took time out of his busy schedule to announce Mark McDaniel’s appointment in Huntsville,” Brooks continued.

McDaniel said he is honored by Brooks’ recommendation.

“It is a great honor for Congressman Brooks to have recommended me for the Human Exploration and Operations Committee of the NASA Advisory Council, and I look forward to serving NASA in this important position,” said McDaniel. “I have been friends with Mo for many years, and I have always admired him for his integrity and courage, and especially for what he does for NASA and national defense.”

McDaniel, no stranger to NASA

Previously, NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin appointed McDaniel to the NASA Advisory Council in October 2000 and NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe reappointed McDaniel to the Council in November 2002 and November 2004. During McDaniel’s tenure on the NAC, President George W. Bush announced the Moon, Mars, and Beyond Initiative which set the Nation on a more aggressive pace for Space Exploration.

On January 26, 2007, McDaniel received the NASA Public Service Medal for his “Leadership and Council to America’s Space Agency, his advocacy of Human Space Flight and Exploration and dedication to the Aerospace Community at large.”