As chairman of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, Cruz effectively has control over Isaacman's confirmation process. He was also just re-elected to a six-year term, so theoretically Cruz is less susceptible to political pressure from the Trump White House.

Notably, the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to deorbit in 2030, following several extensions in its lifespan. Last year, SpaceX had won a $843 million Nasa contract to formally deorbit