We’re back where we started. President Donald Trump has re-nominated private astronaut and entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA.
“Jared’s passion for space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new space economy make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new era,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday afternoon.
Double take: Trump first announced he would be nominating Isaacman to serve as NASA administrator in December, sending the paperwork to the Senate to make it official shortly after taking the oath of office in January.
In April, Isaacman testified at a Senate confirmation hearing, laying out how he would push the agency to pursue parallel efforts to reach the Moon and Mars. He seemed to be cruising to a confirmation vote, winning the support of industry officials and astronauts alike.
However, the president pulled his nomination of Isaacman over the summer amid his public fallout with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk—who backed Isaacman for the role, but may or may not have been in the room where it happened. Since then, Sean Duffy has been serving concurrently as both transportation secretary and interim NASA administrator.
Over the past few weeks, Isaacman has attended events at the White House, sparking rumors that he was back in the running for the space agency’s top job.
“The journey is never easy, but it is time to inspire the world once again to achieve the near-impossible—to undertake and accomplish big, bold endeavors in space…and when we do, we will make life better here at home and challenge the next generation to go even further,” Isaacman wrote on X on Tuesday evening following the nomination announcement.
Meet Athena: On Monday, a draft of Athena—a 62-page memo on the future of NASA drafted by Isaacman during his confirmation process—leaked to the press. Isaacman responded to the reports on social media, laying out some of his key priorities for the agency, including ensuring the US remains a leader in space, cutting bureaucracy, leaning on industry for space-based data, supporting science missions (including implementing a CLPS-inspired program for planetary science missions), and promoting safety.
What’s next: It’s not clear if Isaacman will need another confirmation hearing, or if the Senate will be able to act on his nomination based on previous testimony and bipartisan support. However, one thing is clear—many in the industry are crossing their fingers that the second time will be the charm.
The Commercial Space Federation, which represents a broad swath of the industry, sent a letter to Capitol Hill Tuesday night sharing its support for Isaacman’s nomination.
“Mr. Isaacman is ideally suited to lead NASA at this critical time in the agency’s history,” the letter read.
