On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump declared his intention to appoint wealthy businessman Jared Isaacman to head NASA.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that Jared will lead NASA’s mission of inspiration and discovery, opening the door for ground-breaking advancements in space science, technology, and exploration.
Shift4 is a payment processing company founded and led by 41-year-old Isaacman. He has not held a position at NASA or the federal government, but he has made two trips to orbit on commercial SpaceX missions. For an undisclosed amount, Isaacman personally paid for both of those space missions.
Isaacman said in a statement that he was honored to be nominated by Trump.
He commented on X, “I am passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human history, having had the good fortune to see our amazing planet from space.”
Elon Musk, the multibillionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, is close to Isaacman. Musk, who is close to the president-elect, was selected by Trump to co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency. In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk congratulated Isaacman.
The Polaris Program, a set of three private spaceflights to test technology and maneuvers for exploration beyond Earth’s orbit, was funded and launched by Isaacman in 2022 in collaboration with Musk and SpaceX. During the first of the three spaceflights, called Polaris Dawn, Isaacman was one of four private citizens launched into orbit.
The first all-civilian spacewalk took place during the five-day mission in September.
In 2021, Isaacman also funded and participated in SpaceX’s first all-civilian orbital mission.
With important missions slated to assist in the return of people to the moon in the upcoming years, Isaacman’s confirmation would put him in charge of NASA at a critical juncture.
In its attempts to travel to the moon and maintain a long-term presence there, the United States has encountered growing competition.
China’s space program has advanced significantly in recent years, and the country has stated that it plans to send Chinese astronauts to the moon by 2030. The nation has already sent robotic spacecraft to the moon and brought back the first samples ever taken from the far side of the moon. Chinese officials have stated that they intend to establish a base on the moon in the future.
In his speech, Isaacman added, “I can assure you that we will never again lose our capacity to travel to the stars and never settle for second place. I was born after the Moon landings, and my children were born after the last space shuttle launch…. By going to the Moon and Mars, Americans will improve the quality of life on Earth.
A shift toward greater commercialization of NASA’s activities may be indicated by Trump’s appointment of a relative outsider to head the agency and Musk’s engagement with the next administration. To get its personnel, cargo, and spacecraft to the ISS and beyond, the space agency already depends mostly on SpaceX and other private partners.
Since May 2021, Bill Nelson has served as NASA’s current administrator. Nelson served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1991 and as a senator from 2001 to 2019.
During the STS-61C mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986, Nelson became the second sitting member of Congress to fly in space. Over the course of six days, Nelson and his fellow astronauts completed 98 orbits of the Earth while conducting scientific experiments.
Former astronauts, scientists, engineers, politicians, and military officials have all served as NASA managers.
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