Overview
- Isaacman told senators he has no direct or indirect equity exposure to aerospace companies and argued his SpaceX flights do not create a conflict of interest.
- Bipartisan signals of support resurfaced, with Chair Ted Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell indicating they plan to back him and 36 former astronauts submitting a letter of endorsement.
- He cast the leaked Project Athena as a draft vision emphasizing efficiency, nuclear propulsion and sustained lunar operations, while pledging not to close NASA centers or undercut core science.
- On the Artemis III lander, he endorsed the re-opened competition involving SpaceX and Blue Origin and said the nation should fly with the first provider that can meet mission goals.
- The hearing unfolded against a proposed roughly 24–25% cut to NASA’s 2026 budget and a workforce trimmed by about 4,000 voluntary buyouts earlier in the year.