WASHINGTON -- The White House formally nominated Shana Dale on Tuesday to replace Fred Gregory as NASA deputy administrator, the U.S. space agency's number two job.

NASA's top administrator Michael Griffin said he was "delighted" with Dale's nomination, adding that she "would be a valuable addition to NASA's team as we carry out the president's vision for space exploration."

Dale is well known to the space community having served as staff director on the House Science Committee's space and aeronautics subcommittee in the late 1990s. During her stint on the House Science Committee, Dale and her colleagues saw enactment of the Commercial Space Act and the only NASA authorization bill to become law since in the past decade.

More recently, Dale was promoted from chief of staff and general counsel at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to be that office's deputy director for homeland and national security.

Prior to moving back to Washington to take the White House job, Dale was the assistant vice chancellor for federal relations in the University of Texas system.

Dale is a lawyer by training, having earned her law degree from California Western Law School.

NASA announced Gregory's retirement Sept. 9. Gregory has worked for the space agency for 31 years as a research test pilot, astronaut and senior manager. Before moving up to deputy administrator, a Senate-confirmed position, Gregory served as associate administrator for space flight in charge of the space shuttle and international space station programs.