Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. testifies on behalf of former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, President Biden’s nominee to be the next administrator of NASA, before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Wednesday, April 21, 2021, Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, President Biden’s nominee to be the next administrator of NASA, right, talks with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as Nelson appears before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Wednesday, April 21, 2021, Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Astronauts Frank Rubio, left, and Marcos Berrios, speak at a staff engagement event that took place during a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Chirag Parikh, Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council, introduces NASA Astronauts Frank Rubio, center, and Marcos Berrios, at a staff engagement event that took place during a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Wilmar Galvez Alfonso, Aerospace Engineering Student, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University moderates a discussion with NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Marcos Berrios at a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Chirag Parikh, Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council, top left, and NASA Astronauts Frank Rubio, center, and Marcos Berrios, speak at a staff engagement event that took place during a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Vice President Mike Pence waves next to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., after they arrived on Air Force Two at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to highlight innovations made in America and tour some of the public/private partnership work that is helping to transform Kennedy Space Center (KSC) into a multi-user spaceport on Thursday, July 6, 2017 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Chirag Parikh, Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council, left, and NASA Astronauts Frank Rubio, center, and Marcos Berrios, speak at a staff engagement event that took place during a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Chirag Parikh, Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council, left, and NASA Astronauts Frank Rubio, center, and Marcos Berrios, speak at a staff engagement event that took place during a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Vice President Mike Pence, left, greets Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, right, and Director, Kennedy Space Center, Robert Cabana, second from left, with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, center, after arriving at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to highlight innovations made in America and tour some of the public/private partnership work that is helping to transform Kennedy Space Center (KSC) into a multi-user spaceport on Thursday, July 6, 2017 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Wilmar Galvez Alfonso, Aerospace Engineering Student, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University moderates a discussion with NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Marcos Berrios at a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronauts Frank Rubio, center left, and Marcos Berrios, center right, pose for a photo on the Navy Steps of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with attendees, panelists, and speakers of the White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Vice President Mike Pence tours NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Operations and Checkout Building with, from left to right, KSC director Robert D. Cabana, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin, and acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Vice President Mike Pence receives a model of Orion from Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, second from left, and NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Director Robert D. Cabana, second from right, Thursday, July 6, 2017, while touring KSC's Operations and Checkout Building in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Also pictured are Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin, third from left, and Janet Petro, KSC's deputy director, right. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

From left, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-FL, pause for a photo during the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship field hearing on July 19, 2019, in the Astronaut Memorial Foundation facility at the Florida spaceport’s visitor complex. The topic of the field hearing was “Moon Landings to Mars Exploration: The Role of Small Business Innovation in America’s Space Program.”

Upon his arrival at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Vice President Mike Pence, back to the camera, is greeted by Deputy Center Director Janet Petro. Behind the Vice President, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, shakes hands with Center Director Bob Cabana. To the right of Cabana is Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot. During his visit to Kennedy, the Vice President spoke inside the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, where he thanked employees for advancing American leadership in space.

Vice President Mike Pence, left, waves as he and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida arrive aboard Air Force Two at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During his visit to Kennedy, the Vice President spoke inside the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, where he thanked employees for advancing American leadership in space.

From left, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-FL, and Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, R-FL, participate in the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship field hearing on July 19, 2019, in the Astronaut Memorial Foundation facility at the Florida spaceport’s visitor complex. The topic of the field hearing was “Moon Landings to Mars Exploration: The Role of Small Business Innovation in America’s Space Program.”

Vice President Mike Pence, back to the camera, is greeted by NASA officials at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From the left are, Deputy Center Director Janet Petro, Center Director Bob Cabana and Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot. To the right of Lightfoot is Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. During his visit to Kennedy, the Vice President spoke inside the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, where he thanked employees for advancing American leadership in space.

From left, Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, R-FL, and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-FL, speak with Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana during the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship field hearing on July 19, 2019, in the Astronaut Memorial Foundation facility at the Florida spaceport’s visitor complex. The topic of the field hearing was “Moon Landings to Mars Exploration: The Role of Small Business Innovation in America’s Space Program.”

Vice President Mike Pence, left, and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) step off Air Force Two on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During his visit to Kennedy, Pence spoke inside the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, where he thanked employees for advancing American leadership in space.

Vice President Mike Pence, center left, listens to Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson during a tour of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the Orion spacecraft is being readied for a trip beyond the moon on its first integrated flight with the Space Launch System rocket. Walking with them from left to right are U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), NASA Astronauts Reid Wiseman and Pat Forrester, and NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot. During his visit to Kennedy, Pence spoke inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, where he thanked employees for advancing American leadership in space. The Vice President also toured several facilities highlighting the public-private partnerships at Kennedy, as both NASA and commercial companies prepare to launch American astronauts from the multi-user spaceport.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Community leaders, business executives, educators, and state and local government leaders were updated on NASA Kennedy Space Center programs and accomplishments during Center Director Bob Cabana’s Center Director Update at the Debus Center at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. At left, Susan Fernandez from the Office of Senator Marco Rubio talks with another attendee near the Education display. Attendees talked with Cabana and other senior Kennedy managers and visited displays featuring updates on Kennedy programs and projects, including International Space Station, Commercial Crew, Ground System Development and Operations, Launch Services, Center Planning and Development, Technology, KSC Swamp Works and NASA Education. The morning concluded with a tour of the new Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit at the visitor complex. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Vice President Mike Pence, center, and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), left, examine flight hardware during a tour of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the Orion spacecraft is being readied for a trip beyond the moon on its first integrated flight with the Space Launch System rocket. During his visit to Kennedy, Pence spoke inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, where he thanked employees for advancing American leadership in space. The Vice President also toured several facilities highlighting the public-private partnerships at Kennedy, as both NASA and commercial companies prepare to launch American astronauts from the multi-user spaceport.

Frank Rubio, NASA Astronaut, speaks at a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio answers a question at a staff engagement event that took place during a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Vice President Mike Pence tours the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the Orion spacecraft is being readied for a trip beyond the moon on its first integrated flight with the Space Launch System rocket. Pictured from left to right are NASA Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Janet Petro; Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot; NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman; Pence; NASA Astronaut Pat Forrester; retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin; U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL); Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson; and NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana. During his visit to Kennedy, Pence spoke inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, where he thanked employees for advancing American leadership in space. The Vice President also toured several facilities highlighting the public-private partnerships at Kennedy, as both NASA and commercial companies prepare to launch American astronauts from the multi-user spaceport.

Carrington Jones-Jackson, Intern, Vice Presidential Correspondence, asks a question at at a staff engagement event that took place during a White House Hispanic Heritage month event titled “Soaring Together: Inspiring the Next Generation of Space Leaders” at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Vice President Mike Pence greets Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, second from right, and Director, Kennedy Space Center, Robert Cabana, left, after arriving at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to highlight innovations made in America and tour some of the public/private partnership work that is helping to transform Kennedy Space Center (KSC) into a multi-user spaceport on Thursday, July 6, 2017 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Vice President Mike Pence, left, looks at a component of Orion’s heat shield during a visit to the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Thursday, July 6, 2017 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)