Trump Appoints Jared Isaacman to Lead NASA Space Agency

Washington, Dec 5 (NationPress) Jared Isaacman, a tech billionaire who achieved the milestone of the first private spacewalk in partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX, has been nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump to lead NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

For the past 25 years, Isaacman has been at the forefront of Shift4 and has also co-founded and served as CEO of Draken International, a defence aerospace firm that has supported the US Department of Defence and its allies for over a decade, as stated by Trump on X.

“I am thrilled to nominate Jared Isaacman, a remarkable business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as the Administrator of NASA. Jared will spearhead NASA's mission of exploration and innovation, setting the stage for extraordinary advancements in space science, technology, and exploration,” the US President-elect expressed.

“Over the last 25 years, as the Founder and CEO of Shift4, Jared has shown outstanding leadership, establishing a pioneering global financial technology company. He also co-founded and led Draken International, a defence aerospace entity, for more than ten years, aiding the US Department of Defence and our allies,” he continued.

On Wednesday, Isaacman expressed his gratitude for the nomination, saying he would be “honoured to serve.”

“Having had the privilege of viewing our beautiful planet from space, I am deeply passionate about America leading this incredible adventure in human history,” he remarked on X.

The announcement of Isaacman's nomination came as Trump revealed a series of appointments, including his former White House advisor Peter Navarro, who was incarcerated this year for obstructing a Congressional investigation, as his senior counselor for trade and manufacturing.

At 41, Isaacman describes himself as a “space geek” who generated his wealth as the founder of a payment processing enterprise. He is also a skilled fighter pilot and owns a Florida-based company that trains Air Force pilots.

Isaacman traveled to space in September with a mission focused on testing SpaceX's new, tailored spacewalking suits.

If the US Senate confirms him, Isaacman will succeed Bill Nelson, 82, a former Democratic Senator and astronaut, and is expected to collaborate closely with Musk, as NASA plans to utilize SpaceX's Starship rocket to return astronauts to the moon for the first time in over 50 years. The reusable rocket, the largest ever constructed, is currently undergoing test flights.

The space agency also relies on SpaceX for transporting supplies and astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Simultaneously, NASA is broadening its scope beyond the moon with unmanned spacecraft headed to Jupiter's moon Europa and investigating the surface of Mars for signs of life.

Although NASA is not a cabinet-level agency like the Department of Defense, its leader is nominated by the President and must receive Senate confirmation. While primarily recognized as the US government agency focused on space exploration, NASA also conducts Earth studies using satellite technology and engages in aeronautics research and the testing of new aircraft.

Musk praised Isaacman on X, characterizing him as a man of “high ability and integrity.”

Trump has nearly completed appointing top positions in his administration. The nominees will undergo Senate hearings starting in January.

Other nominations made by Trump on Wednesday included Daniel Driscoll, a military veteran who served as a senior advisor to Vice President-elect JD Vance, as army secretary, and Adam Boehler, a key negotiator on the Abraham Accords team, as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.