Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has taken a controversial turn, now lobbying for United Launch Alliance to limit SpaceX funding. After leaving NASA in January 2021, Bridenstine joined Viasat's board and became ULA's executive of Government Operations, collecting significant lobbying fees. This move exemplifies Washington's revolving door between government and industry.

During his NASA tenure from 2018 to 2021, Bridenstine celebrated SpaceX's achievements, particularly the 2020 Crew Dragon mission that ended American reliance on Russian spacecraft. However, his stance shifted dramatically after joining ULA. In September testimony, he criticized NASA's decision to award the Human Landing System contract to SpaceX, calling it the biggest NASA decision since he'd been paying attention.

Bridenstine argued the contract was awarded during a leadership vacuum at NASA, with no confirmed administrator between his departure and Bill Nelson's confirmation. This criticism struck many as hypocritical given his previous support for commercial space partnerships. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between traditional aerospace contractors like ULA and newer entrants like SpaceX competing for government contracts.