Senator Ted Cruz wants everyone, especially his fellow Texans, to know that he supports NASA's contributions to science and discovery, and that they should not fear his appointment to lead the subcommittee that oversees the space agency.

"Texas has a major stake in space exploration," Mr. Cruz, a Republican, said in a statement on Wednesday, referring to the space center in Houston. "Our space program marks the frontier of future technologies for defense, communications, transportation and more, and our mind-set should be focused on NASA's primary mission: exploring space and developing the wealth of new technologies that stem from its exploration."

Mr. Cruz's critics, particularly on the left, have accused him of antagonism toward science, in part because he has expressed doubts about the science of climate change. Some of them have expressed concern that his new role on the Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness will lead to budget cuts for NASA.

But Mr. Cruz's statement seemed intended to allay those fears.

"We must refocus our investment on the hard sciences, on getting men and women into space, on exploring low-Earth orbit and beyond, and not on political distractions that are extraneous to NASA's mandate," he said. "I am excited to raise these issues in our subcommittee and look forward to producing legislation that confirms our shared commitment to this vital mission."

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