--- title: "NASA Head Who Didn’t Take SpaceX Seriously Complains That People Didn’t Take SpaceX Seriously" description: "Poo-Pooer No More Don't take SpaceX seriously? If so, former SpaceX-antagonist and current NASA chief Bill Nelson, who seems to have completely forgotten about his own previously-held beliefs regarding the privately-owned spaceflight company, has some words for you. \"When there was the beginning of the space cargo and crew [programs], the two serious bidders were […]" date: "2022-09-12" modified: "2022-09-12" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-head-spacex-seriously" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "bill nelson" - "NASA" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # NASA Head Who Didn’t Take SpaceX Seriously Complains That People Didn’t Take SpaceX Seriously ![Former SpaceX-antagonist and current NASA chief Bill Nelson has some words for anyone who doubts SpaceX — even though he himself once did.]() *\Image: Getty Images/SpaceX/Futurism\* ## How the Turntables Don't take SpaceX seriously? If so, former SpaceX-antagonist and current NASA chief Bill Nelson, who seems to have completely forgotten about his own previously-held beliefs regarding the spaceflight company, has some words for you. "When there was the beginning of the space cargo and crew \[programs\], the two serious bidders were SpaceX and Boeing, and everybody poo-pooed SpaceX and said, 'Oh, Boeing is a legacy company,'" he said in a [new interview with *Newsweek*](). "Well, guess who is about to make its sixth flight after its first test flight with astronauts, and guess who's still on the ground?" A fair burn to Boeing, which has, in short, been [absolutely eating SpaceX's dust]() for over a decade. But it was a bit of a self-burn as well, seeing as how, [by many accounts](), Nelson himself was one of those early SpaceX "poo-pooers." ## History Lesson This isn't the first time that the head NASA honcho has glossed over his history of SpaceX ambivalence. At his NASA nomination hearing back in 2021, Nelson [argued that]() through a series of laws dating back to the mid-80s, he'd personally "laid the foundation for the emergence of the modern commercial space sector." But according to former colleagues and, uh, US Senate minutes, Nelson hasn't always been such a big fan of the privatized space travel industry — or, for that matter, of mercurial SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Back in 2010, when Nelson was still a senator, he was an extremely vocal opponent — or poo-pooer, if you will — of a Senate push to fund Commercial Crew missions into the cosmos, as corroborated by allegations from former NASA second-in-command Lori Garver in her [recently-published memoir](). In that same memoir, [Garver also claimed]() that Nelson once "screamed at me to 'get your boy Elon in line.'" Nelson's save-face efforts aren't terribly surprising given SpaceX's prominent successes. "I think the private space industry is extremely beneficial," Nelson told *Newsweek*. "Just look at what SpaceX has already accomplished." **READ MORE:** [*Bill Nelson: Everybody Poo-Pooed SpaceX. Look at Them Now*]() \[*Newsweek*\] **More on Nelson vs. SpaceX:** [*Former Nasa Official Says Many at Agency Deeply Oppose SpaceX*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()