Donald Trump nominates private astronaut Jared Isaacman to lead NASA
What's the story
Billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman has been nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump to lead NASA.
If the Senate approves the nomination, Isaacman will take over the reins of the space agency at a pivotal moment in its history.
The 41-year-old founder of Draken International and CEO of Shift4 thanked Trump for the nomination on X. He pledged to advance America's role in space exploration.
Space vision
Isaacman's vision for NASA's future
Isaacman commanded the five-day orbital Polaris Dawn mission in September, where he made history by performing the first civilian spacewalk nearly 740km above Earth.
Outlining his vision for NASA, he said, "Space holds unparalleled potential for breakthroughs in manufacturing, biotechnology, mining, and perhaps even pathways to new sources of energy ... At NASA we will passionately pursue these possibilities and usher in an era where humanity becomes a true spacefaring civilization."
Scenario
Space mission and potential challenges
If confirmed, Isaacman will succeed outgoing NASA administrator Bill Nelson, a former space shuttle astronaut and Democratic senator from Florida, appointed by Joe Biden in 2021.
Nelson led significant progress in the Artemis program, highlighted by the groundbreaking November 2022 flight of the Artemis 1 moon rocket.
However, Isaacman's nomination could raise questions about the future of the Artemis program's key component, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, due to his close ties with SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
Endorsements
Trump's praise for Isaacman
Trump praised Isaacman as "an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut." He added that Isaacman's passion for space exploration makes him the perfect person to lead NASA into a bold new era.
Lori Garver, former deputy administrator of NASA during the Obama administration, also welcomed Isaacman's nomination.
She called it "terrific news" and added that he has the opportunity to build on NASA's amazing accomplishments.
Space advocacy
Commitment to commercial spaceflight and SpaceX
Isaacman has been a staunch supporter of commercial spaceflight. Through his Polaris Program initiative, he sponsored two separate missions to orbit by SpaceX.
He even pitched a privately funded mission to boost the orbit of the aging Hubble Telescope.
Isaacman has also voiced support for SpaceX's plans to make life multi-planetary. In an August post on X, he said it seems irresponsible not to pursue technical paths ensuring humanity's survival.