The Orlando Sentinel has a solid watchdog story this week examining a possible conflict of interest facing NASA chief Charlie Bolden -- and the conflict has ties to Texas.

From the story:

While millions of barrels of spilled oil choke the Gulf of Mexico, NASA is working on an ocean-based biofuels venture that could revolutionize clean-energy production at sea and treat wastewater at the same time.

The scientist running the $10 million experiment, called Project OMEGA, uses words such as groundbreaking and exciting to describe his baby. But there's a hitch.

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden doesn't believe in OMEGA — and has sought to slow it down.

The reason: He was advised against it by Marathon Oil — the Texas-based company on whose board Bolden sat until he was named NASA administrator last year. The former astronaut and Marine Corps general also still holds as much as $1 million worth of Marathon stock.

Bolden and attorneys at NASA say there is no conflict of inerest. Be sure to read the whole story.

This all comes, of course, at a time when NASA is facing lots of scrutiny. The White House has not been high on another moon landing and Houston Mayor Annise Parker and other Texas officials have been fighting to keep Houston-area space-related programs and jobs.

Trent Seibert can be reached at 832-316-4994 or at trent@texaswatchdog.org.