Former Sen. Bill Nelson earned early bipartisan support on Friday in his bid to become the next NASA administrator, suggesting he'll face a smooth confirmation process on Capitol Hill.
The 78-year-old Florida Democrat spent three decades on Capitol Hill, forming close relationships with lawmakers in both parties and bonding with unlikely allies over mutual support for the nation’s space ambitions.
Nelson flew on the former Space Shuttle COLUMBIA in 1986 as a sitting member of congress.
One of the greatest controversies in crewed space flight today is whether to support the SLS rocket, which is expensive and based on 1970s technology or put those resources into more modern reusable rockets.
In the past, Nelson has opposed commercial space programs, so it is unclear how he would view such current endeavors as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others.
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