Space billionaire gets surprising nomination to lead America's space agency
Trump picks private astronaut and payment-tech CEO to run NASAʼs $25B budget. The nomination comes as the agency pushes forward with its moon-return mission while expanding private sector partnerships
In a non-traditional move‚ Jared Isaacman – the payment-tech mogul and space explorer – got tapped by Trump to head NASA this december
The 41-year old Isaacman‚ who runs Shift4 Payments and has zero government background‚ made his mark flying twice on SpaceX missions (his Polaris program being a key customer for Musks space ventures). His most recent achievement: leading the first-ever private spacewalk just few months back
Space holds unparalleled potential for breakthroughs in manufacturing biotechnology‚ mining and perhaps even pathways to new sources of energy
The timing seems rushed – Trump picked NASAʼs new chief way earlier than usual while keeping close ties with SpaceX boss Elon Musk who donated to his campaign. The president-elect even showed up at Starships test flight in texas last month
If confirmed Isaacman would manage NASAʼs $25B budget focusing on:
- Moon-return Artemis program
- Private company partnerships
- Green aviation research
- Space science projects
The choice marks a shift from NASAʼs previous leaders who were ex-politicians – Jim Bridenstine and Bill Nelson. Its worth noting that other candidates like SpaceXʼs Kathy Lueders and ex-Rep Mike Garcia (who lost re-election in november) were also considered for this role
