A highly decorated fighter pilot, almost completely unknown to the space community, has emerged as the top candidate to run NASA, two sources close to the Obama transition team said today.

Retired Maj. Gen. Jonathan Scott Gration is close to President-Elect Obama, having served as a military adviser to him during the campaign. Gration spoke at the Democratic National Convention. His selection is not a done deal, the sources said, but a formal announcement could be made before the inauguration. Gration's name first surfaced Tuesday night on the Web site Space.com.

What's certain is that Gration would give NASA a closer personal connection to the White House than it currently has under NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. Gration traveled with Obama on an extended senatorial trip to Africa and, despite having voted for George W. Bush in 2000, emerged a strong Obama advocate, at one point comparing him to Nelson Mandela.