Chosen by US President-elect Donald Trump to head NASA, the former astronaut, a private astronaut and close ally of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is a central figure in a fast-paced, commercially-focused side of the space industry that served as an administrator. Will face unfamiliar political challenges.
Jared Isaacman, CEO of payments processing company Shift4 Payments, has made historic trips to space on two ambitious SpaceX missions, including the first privately funded spacewalk in September.
Acknowledging Trump’s decision, he envisioned a “thriving space economy” and vowed to usher in “an era where humanity will become a true spacefaring civilization.”
But the path to advancing a faster, more privatized human spaceflight agenda is expected to involve a delicate political tango of trimming expensive, complex programs and cajoling lawmakers to increase the space agency’s $25 billion budget. .
“He’s certainly going to put pressure on NASA, but he’ll do it in a positive way,” said Garrett Reisman, a retired NASA astronaut and former SpaceX advisor.
According to two people familiar with the discussions, Musk recommended Trump to choose Isaacman and has since told aides he sees the tech billionaire as someone who would work well at NASA.
“He is a person of high caliber and integrity,” Musk said of Isaacman on his X platform on Wednesday.
Among the NASA targets Isaacman is expected to keep an eye on for Trump and Musk’s cost-cutting agenda, according to people familiar, are the agency’s over-budget, $24 billion Space Launch System rocket and ready to be placed in lunar orbit Includes the in-development Gateway Space Station. With the transition team’s space plans.
Other projects facing scrutiny include the agency’s goal of bringing back soil samples from Mars — another top NASA priority along with the Artemis moon program.
Although likely to face opposition from lawmakers, cutting NASA’s expensive programs could mean a boost to companies like SpaceX, which have embraced cheaper and faster means of getting to space and the government as a privately owned service. Have offered rocket to.
This approach contrasts with the space agency’s traditional method of corporate contracting, where companies such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin build spacecraft that the agency itself owns, controls, and fully finances.
Trump’s first NASA administrator, former Oklahoma congressman Jim Bridenstine, proved adept at handling those political challenges. He played a key role in increasing the budget for NASA’s flagship crewed space exploration program and increasing its reliance on private companies.
Bridenstine urged Isaacman’s Senate confirmation in a statement Wednesday night, saying that “his vision to push the boundaries, combined with his proven track record of success in private industry, makes him the ideal leader to lead NASA on a bold journey of exploration and discovery.” Establishes her as an ideal candidate to lead in the new era.” ,
Since Trump’s first term, NASA has focused heavily on returning humans to the Moon. But the Artemis program, which uses NASA’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to send astronauts to space and Musk’s Starship rocket to land them on the moon, has faced budget constraints and delays, scuttling the planned The landing is back in 2027.
NASA’s reliance on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, which provides astronaut rides to the International Space Station at a cheaper cost than previous options, has bolstered the agency’s commercial cost-saving strategy. It has also driven an industry culture that jeopardizes the future of NASA’s older and far more expensive SLS rocket, which is built primarily by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, with a nationwide workforce of 28,000.
“If Administrator-nominee Isaacman is confirmed, he will face challenges leading NASA into the future,” said Dan Stohr, CEO of the industry group Coalition for Deep Space Exploration.
“Budget limitations, workforce and infrastructure needs will play a role in shaping NASA’s future,” Stoehr said.
NASA’s current administrator, Bill Nelson, said he spoke with Isaacman to congratulate him on his temporary nomination and feels “fundamentally optimistic” about NASA’s future under Trump.
“I think the relationship between Elon Musk and the president-elect will be beneficial in ensuring funding for NASA, so I see that as a positive,” Nelson said at a news conference Thursday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
