A 41-year-old US billionaire space tourist, pilot, philanthropist, and commercial astronaut, with two successful private space flights and a spacewalk on his resume, has been nominated by President-elect Trump to become the next Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire CEO of Shift4 payments company and a close associate of another US billionaire, Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, is poised to succeed the current NASA administrator, Bill Nelson, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2021 and has also traveled into orbit during a Space Shuttle mission in 1986.
Three years ago, he spearheaded the first-ever all-civilian space mission aboard a commercial SpaceX flight.
In 2024, Isaacman headed the Polaris Dawn mission, during which SpaceX’s civilian astronauts performed the first private spacewalk. Polaris Dawn aimed to evaluate new technologies and protocols that may become instrumental in upcoming space missions. The spacewalk was streamed live and lasted approximately two hours.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote upon the nomination that Isaacman would “lead NASA’s initiative focused on discovery and inspiration, setting the stage for significant advancements in space science, technology, and exploration.”
NASA maintains a close business partnership with SpaceX, depending on the company’s rocket launches to transport astronauts to space and deliver various supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). Should Isaacman be confirmed as NASA administrator, he would be responsible for overseeing the multibillion-dollar contracts that the US government has granted to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Upon learning about the nomination, Isaacman said that he is thankful for the opportunity to “usher in an era where humanity becomes a true spacefaring civilization.”
He also addressed the Shift4 employees in the letter, where he stated his intention to continue serving as CEO until his confirmation, and to maintain the majority of his equity stake, although he will diminish his voting power as a shareholder.
“After nearly 26 years at the helm of Shift4, I believe the moment has arrived for me to pursue a new path,” the entrepreneur wrote.
