Anderson Breezes Through Senate Nomination Hearing to be NASA Deputy Administrator

Retired Air Force Colonel Matt Anderson breezed through his nomination hearing today to be Deputy Administrator of NASA. One day after the Senate Commerce Committee approved a new NASA authorization bill that closely aligns with Administrator Jared Isaacman’s revised plan for the Artemis program, no committee members expressed reservations about Anderson joining the NASA team. The committee will vote on sending the nomination forward to the Senate next week. [Update: the committee approved the nomination on March 12.]

Nominated by President Trump last May, Anderson’s hearing has been on hold waiting for a NASA Administrator to be confirmed. Isaacman’s original nomination was withdrawn last summer, but later reinstated and he was sworn in to head the space agency on December 18.

In his opening statement, Anderson said Isaacman’s first two months in office have shown that “bold leadership matters.” Saying he’s been “fortunate to lead large organizations in my career,” Anderson added that’s meant certifying, but also de-certifying, Air Force pilots, and commissioning, but also removing, Air Force Academy cadets, if any didn’t make the grade.

Working with Isaacman, he will “100 percent” execute the President’s space policy and “beat China to the Moon.”

Make no mistake… we are on a shot clock, and the stakes are high. Stakes that directly affect the balance of power here on earth.

If confirmed, I will 100 percent support the Administrator in executing the President’s space policy. I will roll up my sleeves and tirelessly serve the talented workforce at NASA, be a great teammate with Congress, and beat China to the moon.

Together, we have the opportunity to usher in a new Golden Age of science and discovery. One that strengthens our nation, expands human knowledge, and inspires the next generation. — Matt Anderson

The friendly hearing, for Anderson at least, didn’t elicit any new information, but provided an opportunity to learn more about his views. (Questioning to Arvind Raman, nominated to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of NIST, was more contentious.)

Anderson agreed with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who represents NASA’s Glenn Research Center, that nuclear power and propulsion will be an important element of lunar and Mars exploration. Sen. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) got a commitment from Anderson to preserve biological and physical research on the International Space Station like that conducted by New Jersey universities and companies. Anderson, who has a degree in biology, was happy to do so.

Committee chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had to leave the hearing for a period of time. While waiting for him to return, Anderson took Sen. Moreno up on an offer to share his own thoughts about the state of NASA today.

What we’re about to accomplish in a couple of weeks with Artemis II is historic. No other nation is going to do that. And what we just saw the Administrator do, and the support of this committee to move the Artemis schedule left, completely change it, because the mission dictated it, safety dictated it. And then how quickly this committee said “we support NASA, we support that Administrator, and we support the President’s National Space Policy.”

We’re going to beat China to the moon. We’re going to establish a moon base, and then we’re moving on to Mars. We’re going to innovate technologies that will change humankind. We’re going to inspire the next generation. I think that is what we’re seeing here from President Trump, this committee, and the Administrator, and I’m looking forward to joining that team. — Matt Anderson

When Cruz did return, he asked Anderson what priority beating China to the Moon should have.

Anderson: The absolute highest priority, Senator.

Cruz: That would be the right answer. So I’m glad to hear it.

Anderson also agreed with Cruz on the importance of avoiding a gap between the International Space Station and commercial space stations to replace it. “It’s absolutely critical. The first word of ISS is international. That means we have a lot of partners invested in this. And it’s also competition with China. Our adversary is already in low Earth orbit. We cannot cede American leadership in low Earth orbit.”

The NASA authorization bill that cleared the committee yesterday directs NASA both to immediately resume efforts to facilitate U.S. companies to build commercial space stations, and to extend the ISS for another two years, to 2032, to give them time to get at least one operational.

Anderson spent 24 years in the Air Force before retiring in 2021. A pilot, he logged over 5,000 hours, including 650 combat hours, in five different types of aircraft.  He is now Vice President, U.S. Space Force and Air Force client executive at CACI International, and Chief Growth Officer at the Space Force Association. He has a B.S. in biology from the Air Force Academy, an M.S. in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (Isaacman’s alma mater), and an M.A. in Leadership & Counseling from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

The committee said this afternoon it will vote on Anderson’s nomination along with several others next Thursday, March 12. After that it still must be voted on by the full Senate.  [Update: the committee approved the nomination on March 12 by a vote of 23-5, with all 5 no votes from Democrats.]