Bill Nelson was a fine congressman and an even better senator, probably the last true statesman to hold office in Florida.

He's a decent man, and he lives right here in Orlando. We're proud of him and what he's done. But following President Joe Biden's nomination of his former Senate colleague to be the next NASA administrator, we have to conclude Nelson was not the best choice.

The agency needs an innovator in charge. Someone like Elon Musk, but without the personality defects.

Like him or not, Musk has made space fun, exciting and accessible again. He's landed rockets on seaborne, robotic landing pads with names like "Of Course I Still Love you." He got Americans back into space wearing spacesuits created by a Hollywood designer. To test a heavy launch rocket, Musk's payload was his red Tesla roadster with a mannequin astronaut behind the wheel. Sure, Musk is a showman, but he's also finding new ways to save money, re-engage the public and get the mission done. We are not advocating for Musk as NASA's administrator. He would be a disaster in a government setting.

But we are wondering why Biden went back to this traditional well of nominees when he had the opportunity to choose a person better suited to shaking up an agency that's at times wasteful and plodding.

Just look at the Space Launch System, which Nelson pushed while in Congress as a way to return humans to the moon. It's behind schedule and, according to an inspector general report last year, billions over budget.

Biden didn't just miss the opportunity to nominate an innovator. He also passed on the chance to nominate a woman and break the six-decade-old glass ceiling for NASA administrators. It's perplexing, considering Biden's record so far of shaping an administration that looks more like America.

In an article about Nelson's nomination, the Atlantic noted several women who were fully qualified to do the job, including Pam Melroy, a former shuttle astronaut and Air Force veteran who is expected to be nominated as Nelson's deputy.

Still, there's a distinction between arguing whether someone is the best choice for a job and whether they should be confirmed. The Senate should confirm Nelson, who has the chops and will serve as he has throughout a long career — with honor.

We want Nelson to prove us wrong. We hope he'll shake up a sometimes languid agency and impose more financial discipline. We also hope he'll stand up to members of Congress who view NASA primarily as an opportunity to serve up some political pork in their districts.

That could happen. But for now, we think that while Nelson wasn't a bad pick, he certainly wasn't the best one.

FROM AN EDITORIAL IN THE ORLANDO SENTINEL