Billionaire investor Jared Isaacman has been confirmed to be the next head of NASA, capping an unusual nomination process in which President Donald Trump submitted his name, withdrew it and then reappointed it.
Isaacman, a 42-year-old amateur pilot who became the first non-professional astronaut to spacewalk, is also the first NASA administrator in decades to come directly from outside the government.
For many, the success of his tenure will be decided by a crucial test: whether he can return humans to the Moon before China.
Trump has made clear that he wants the United States to establish a permanent lunar base, both to enable resource extraction and to serve as a stepping stone to Mars.
On Wednesday, the Senate approved Isaacman’s nomination by a vote of 67-30.
Trump initially withdrew Isaacman’s nomination in May, citing a “thorough review of prior associations.”
At the time, the president was publicly feuding with Elon Musk, one of his biggest political donors and the CEO of SpaceX, with whom Isaacman has professional ties.
Isaacman says he now fully supports Trump’s mission to mine the moon, putting him at odds with Musk, who has said that going to the Moon is a distraction from traveling to Mars.
In the current space battle, countries are racing to exploit the lunar surface.
“This is not a time for delay, but for action, because if we fall behind, if we make a mistake, we may never catch up, and the consequences could change the balance of power here on Earth,” Isaacman told US senators earlier this month.
The billionaire businessman believes attracting more private-sector competition is key to achieving those goals, according to a recently leaked document laying out his vision for NASA.
At his confirmation hearing, he stood by the plan he developed when he was first nominated, but said it was a work in progress, according to The Hill.
His openness to competition could also create conflict with Musk. Last week, Isaacman praised the award of a major contract to Blue Origin, owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, which is one of the few rivals to Musk’s SpaceX.
In the leaked plan, he suggested that NASA should increasingly partner with universities and academic institutions, positioning the agency as a “force multiplier for science.”
He highlighted the planned launch of the Roman Space Telescope in 2027 as an emblematic example.
“And if we are on the verge of something extraordinary, like launching Roman, I will explore all options to bring the program to fruition, including funding it myself if that’s what it takes to achieve the science,” he wrote.
According to Forbes, Isaacman’s net worth is estimated at $1.2 billion (£894 million), mainly coming from his payment processing business and the sale of his company that trained pilots and operated a private fleet of military aircraft.
The NASA administrator position will be his first job in politics, unlike the last two appointees to head the agency.
He will succeed Sean Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation, who has served as acting head of NASA since July.
