How have NASA administrators left things for their replacements?

The role of NASA administrator is one of the more unique positions in the federal government. Many agencies have a tough time just planning for next year, well imagine having to plan for projects that could take 10 or 20 years. Over the past few decades, there have been differing management and planning styles by whoever is in the big seat, and now there’s comprehensive research to show the results of them. Syracuse University Professor Henry Lambright recently penned a report, which draws on insights from recent and past NASA Administrators to chart how leaders have passed the torch toward enabling machine and human space exploration of Mars, and its long term impact on strategic priorities for the space program. I recently had the chance to speak with him about what he found.