Executive Order 11955—Permitting Certain Qualified Employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to be Given Career or Career-Conditional Appointment

By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 3301 of title 5 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. The appointment of a Command Pilot, Pilot or Mission Specialist candidate to a position in the Space Shuttle Astronaut Program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which is listed under Schedule B of the Schedule of Excepted Positions, may be converted to career or career-conditional appointment if:

(a) the candidate has successfully completed two years of service as a candidate in an appropriate training program;

(b) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or the Administrator's designee, recommends the conversion of the candidate's appointment within ninety days of completion of the requirements of section 1(a);

(c) the candidate meets noncompetitive examination standards prescribed by the United States Civil Service Commission; and

(d) the candidate meets all other requirements prescribed by the United States Civil Service Commission pursuant to section 3 of this order.

SEC. 2. Whenever the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or the Administrator's designee, decides not to recommend conversion of an appointment under this order or whenever the Administrator, or the Administrator's designee, recommends conversion and the candidate fails to qualify, the candidate shall be separated not later than the date of expiration of the current Schedule B appointment, unless the appointment can be converted through appropriate competitive examination or the candidate can be assigned to a suitable position under another excepted authority prior to the expiration date.

SEC. 3. The United States Civil Service Commission shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purpose of this order.

GERALD R. FORD

The White House,

January 10, 1977.