Rep. Gillen Presses NASA Administrator on Quiet Skies and Bolstering Space Innovation on Long Island

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) questioned NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman during a House Science, Space, and Technology Committee hearing on the agency's commitment to strengthening research and technology hubs nationwide, including on Long Island, as well as its ongoing efforts to advance quieter aviation technologies.

dministrator Isaacman reaffirmed NASA's commitment to public-private partnerships and the use of regional hubs across the country, emphasizing the important contributions of communities like Long Island to the agency's work.

Rep. Gillen pushed for greater progress on NASA's commitment to advance aircraft noise reduction. Isaacman noted the agency's continued collaboration with industry and the research community to develop and deploy innovations in aircraft design aimed at reducing noise.

Congresswoman Gillen previously secured an amendment in the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026 to strengthen America's leadership in space by expanding NASA's research and technology partnerships in Nassau County and nationwide. The measure directs NASA to support and identify new public-private collaborations, helping drive innovation, grow regional space economies, and build a strong workforce including in emerging areas beyond traditional hubs.

On securing Administrator Isaacman's commitment to bolster Long Island's research and technology hubs:

Rep. Gillen: "Administrator, you have laid out ambitious plans to expand NASA's capabilities. Would you be willing to work with my office to find ways that we can strengthen the research and technology consortia regions like we have on Long Island?"

Administrator Isaacman: "Thank you, Congresswoman. I absolutely would welcome those conversations. I think it takes the contributions of the best and brightest from across the nation, even the world, to help us succeed in the undertakings that we have underway right now, like returning to the moon and building a moon base and I absolutely have a great appreciation for the history in Long Island."

On urging Administrator Isaacman's commitment to carry out NASA's development of cleaner, quieter aircrafts:

Rep. Gillen: "I speak to many airline industry professionals and talk about the ways we can incentivize them to develop the technology to quiet down our skies, and wondering if there is some outreach and connection between what you're doing over at NASA with the aviation sector to try to work together and take advantage of different opportunities to share research."

Administrator Isaacman: "I've been challenging industry. Please don't give us the proposals on how to squeak out 3% more fuel efficiency out of your 30-year-old engine. You should just do that as a good business. Bring us, you know, the crazy designs. Talk to us about the engine that's going to ensure America is two generations ahead of our rivals across the Pacific, whether that's in fuel efficiency, performance, noise, airframe design just the same. And we've got an RFI out actually right now, out of our aeronautics division, specifically challenging industry to bring us those kind of proposals so we can team up."

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