It’s been almost a full year since NASA last had a full-time leader.
The agency, responsible for the Trump administration’s ambitious goals of returning astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in over half a century, has instead passed through the hands of several interim administrators since president Donald Trump took office.
Now, the office is finally officially filled. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s personal pick for the job, private space tourist and billionaire pilot Jared Isaacman, has officially been confirmed by the Senate with a 67 to 30 vote.
Between late last year and this summer, Isaacman appeared to be the clear frontrunner. But as Musk and Trump’s relationship soured, the president threw Isaacman’s nomination out in a fit of anger — only to change his mind again mere months later.
The reality is that Isaacman is taking over an agency in crisis. NASA is facing an existential moment as the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) aims to deal the agency a devastating and possibly lethal blow, eviscerating dozens of major ongoing and future science missions.
For now, following the government shutdown earlier this year, the matter remains up in the air. A short-term resolution was passed on November 12, leaving the government until January 31 to essentially determine the fate of NASA.
Both Trump and Musk have also called the agency’s existing Moon program into question, undermining missions that have been decades in the works, and arguing we should visit Mars instead. (Trump’s personal position on the matter has bounced back and forth.)
Unsurprisingly, Isaacman, who has traveled to space on two occasions with the help of Musk’s SpaceX, has focused on the prospect of NASA building out a space economy with the help of commercial entities.
As laid out in a controversial document called “Project Athena,” which was leaked to the press last month, Isaacman believes NASA should be run more like a business, shocking former NASA officials. According to him, it’s possible to establish a presence on the Moon and send humans to Mars simultaneously.
It’s a particularly pertinent topic as lawmakers are panicking about the possibility of China beating the US to the Moon.
“This is not the time for delay but a time for action because if we fall behind — if we make a mistake — we may never catch up, and the consequences could shift the balance of power here on Earth,” Isaacman told senators in November.
Others are far more optimistic about the prospect of Isaacman at the helm, with American Enterprise Institute analyst Todd Harrison telling the New York Times that he could put “NASA back on a good track.”
“After nearly a year of historic disruptions to the agency’s workforce, facilities, and budget, Mr. Isaacman has the opportunity to stabilize and reinvigorate the US space program,” the Planetary Society wrote in a statement.
Isaacman also enjoys bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, which could help the agency secure the enormous budgets required for its ambitious plans.
“I am optimistic that Mr. Isaacman will bring a steady hand and clear vision to NASA,” senator Marie Cantwell (D-WA) said in a statement, as quoted by the NYT. “I hope we can partner together, all of us, to achieve this incredible thing for the American people.”
“You are as committed to American supremacy in the final frontier as is this committee and the entire Senate,” Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) told Isaacman ahead of this week’s vote. “My hope is that you will be confirmed and in this role before the end of this year.”
At the end of the day, though, Isaacman is an extremely wealthy entrepreneur with zero political experience — and now that he’s got the job, he’s trapped navigating a major political standoff between Congress and the White House that could make, or destroy, his legacy.
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