NASA to be Led by Billionaire Who Conducted First Private Spacewalk
Billionaire who conducted the inaugural private spacewalk is set to take the helm at NASA.
TroibNews 
A tech billionaire known for purchasing a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk's SpaceX and conducting the first private spacewalk was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to lead NASA.
Jared Isaacman, 41, the CEO and founder of a credit card-processing company, has closely collaborated with Musk since he arranged his first chartered flight with SpaceX. In 2021, Isaacman took contest winners on that inaugural trip and later returned in September to conduct a spacewalk, testing SpaceX's new spacewalking suits.
If confirmed, Isaacman will succeed Bill Nelson, 82, a former Democratic senator from Florida who was nominated by President Joe Biden. Nelson's spaceflight experience includes traveling aboard space shuttle Columbia in 1986, just before the Challenger disaster, while he was a congressman.
Isaacman expressed his honor at the nomination, stating he would be "grateful to serve." He added, "Having been fortunate to see our amazing planet from space, I am passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human history," via X.
During Nelson's leadership, NASA made significant advancements in its plan to return astronauts to the moon. This next-generation Apollo program, named after Apollo's mythological twin sister Artemis, aims to send four astronauts around the moon as early as next year, followed by a moon landing that would mark the first in over half a century.
NASA relies on SpaceX for transporting astronauts to the lunar surface using the Starship, a mega rocket currently conducting test flights in Texas. The agency also counts on SpaceX for missions to the International Space Station alongside supply runs. Boeing's Starliner capsule faced extensive delays during its initial crew launch for NASA in June, leaving test pilots stranded at the space station. They are expected to return home with SpaceX in February, having been in orbit for more than eight months—a mission initially planned for eight days.
In addition to these missions, NASA is focused on exploring the solar system. Robotic missions to the moon and beyond are ongoing, with a spacecraft heading to Jupiter's moon Europa, and the Mars rover Perseverance is actively collecting rock and soil samples.
With tight budgets in mind, NASA is seeking more efficient and cost-effective approaches to return Martian samples to Earth, as the original plan had ballooned to $11 billion with no samples expected before 2040. As with human spaceflight, the agency is turning to private industry for innovative solutions and support.
Musk extended his congratulations to Isaacman via X, calling him a man of "high ability and integrity."
Isaacman, a fighter jet pilot known by the call sign Rook—short for rookie—has identified as a "space geek" since childhood. After dropping out of high school at 16 and obtaining a GED, he started a business in his parents' basement that evolved into Shift4. He resides in eastern Pennsylvania with his wife and their two young daughters.
In 2009, he set a speed record flying around the world while raising funds for the Make-A-Wish program and later founded Draken International, which is now the world's largest private fleet of fighter jets.
Isaacman has reserved two additional flights with SpaceX, including one that will lead Starship's first crew into orbit around Earth.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
Jared Isaacman, 41, the CEO and founder of a credit card-processing company, has closely collaborated with Musk since he arranged his first chartered flight with SpaceX. In 2021, Isaacman took contest winners on that inaugural trip and later returned in September to conduct a spacewalk, testing SpaceX's new spacewalking suits.
If confirmed, Isaacman will succeed Bill Nelson, 82, a former Democratic senator from Florida who was nominated by President Joe Biden. Nelson's spaceflight experience includes traveling aboard space shuttle Columbia in 1986, just before the Challenger disaster, while he was a congressman.
Isaacman expressed his honor at the nomination, stating he would be "grateful to serve." He added, "Having been fortunate to see our amazing planet from space, I am passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human history," via X.
During Nelson's leadership, NASA made significant advancements in its plan to return astronauts to the moon. This next-generation Apollo program, named after Apollo's mythological twin sister Artemis, aims to send four astronauts around the moon as early as next year, followed by a moon landing that would mark the first in over half a century.
NASA relies on SpaceX for transporting astronauts to the lunar surface using the Starship, a mega rocket currently conducting test flights in Texas. The agency also counts on SpaceX for missions to the International Space Station alongside supply runs. Boeing's Starliner capsule faced extensive delays during its initial crew launch for NASA in June, leaving test pilots stranded at the space station. They are expected to return home with SpaceX in February, having been in orbit for more than eight months—a mission initially planned for eight days.
In addition to these missions, NASA is focused on exploring the solar system. Robotic missions to the moon and beyond are ongoing, with a spacecraft heading to Jupiter's moon Europa, and the Mars rover Perseverance is actively collecting rock and soil samples.
With tight budgets in mind, NASA is seeking more efficient and cost-effective approaches to return Martian samples to Earth, as the original plan had ballooned to $11 billion with no samples expected before 2040. As with human spaceflight, the agency is turning to private industry for innovative solutions and support.
Musk extended his congratulations to Isaacman via X, calling him a man of "high ability and integrity."
Isaacman, a fighter jet pilot known by the call sign Rook—short for rookie—has identified as a "space geek" since childhood. After dropping out of high school at 16 and obtaining a GED, he started a business in his parents' basement that evolved into Shift4. He resides in eastern Pennsylvania with his wife and their two young daughters.
In 2009, he set a speed record flying around the world while raising funds for the Make-A-Wish program and later founded Draken International, which is now the world's largest private fleet of fighter jets.
Isaacman has reserved two additional flights with SpaceX, including one that will lead Starship's first crew into orbit around Earth.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
