In an unexpected move yesterday, President Nixon announced that the Department of Transportation will take charge of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) electronics research center in Cambridge, beginning this July.

NASA had planned to close the center for budgetary reasons at the end of June. The transfer to the Transportation Department, which is budgeting $20 million for the center, will save 750 jobs.

Transportation Secretary John A. Volpe, former governor of Massachusetts, said yesterday that the center would be used to research pollution, air traffic control, and automated transit-systems.

He added that NASA and possibly the Air Force would also make some use of the center.

The announcement of the transfer followed a meeting between, Nixon, Volpe, Governor Francis Sargent, and Senator Edward Brooke (R-Mass). Sargent had also conferred with Nixon last January to urge that another government agency subsidize the center.

Last month, a delegation ????sed of city and state officials and ?????? members of Sargent's nine-man ????? and Technology Foundation met ????? Presidential scientific advisor Lee????idge, who reported to them that ????rans portation Department, along???? other federal agencies, was conside ????? taking over the NASA center.

Howard W. Emmons, Gor???? Kay Professor of Mechanical Eng???? one of the Foundation members w???? with DuBridge, called the transfer ???? ideal arrangement. The Department of Transportation needs a real research fa???ty."

Surprise

Emmons also expressed surprise that the department was able to rearrange its yearly budget within three ???? of NASA's original announcement ????rder to absorb the cost of running th????nter.

"You don't just reprogram tha??? the drop of a hat," Emmons said. ???