winph Trump names billionaire private astronaut as next Nasa chief
Inspiration4 mission commander Jared Isaacman, founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments, speaks during an interview in front of the recovered first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket at Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) on February 2, 2021 in Hawthorne, California. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON — US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Jared Isaacman, a billionaire online payments entrepreneur and the first private astronaut to conduct a spacewalk, as the next head of Nasa.
The nod raises questions about potential conflicts of interest, given Isaacman’s financial ties to SpaceX chief Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead a government efficiency commission and is one of Trump’s closest advisors.
Article continues after this advertisementIsaacman, the 41-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, has emerged as a leading figure in commercial spaceflight through his high-profile collaborations with SpaceX.
FEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION US Court warns PH defendants in Bangladesh heist to answer raps GLOBALNATION Babies to have nationality of PH surrogate moms convicted in Cambodia GLOBALNATION Marcos says PH aiming to be leading global investment hubREAD: Tech billionaire pulls off first private spacewalk high above Earth
He made history in September by stepping out of a Crew Dragon to gaze at Earth from the void of space while gripping the spacecraft’s exterior, during the first-ever spacewalk carried out by non-professional astronauts.
Article continues after this advertisement“I am delighted to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa),” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Article continues after this advertisement“Jared will drive Nasa’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration.”
Article continues after this advertisement SpaceX tiesThe groundbreaking spacewalk was part of the Polaris program, a collaboration between Isaacman and SpaceX that is set to include three missions in total, culminating in the first crewed test of the next-generation Starship.
Financial terms of the initiative remain under wraps, though the matter is likely to come up during Isaacman’s Senate hearings.
Article continues after this advertisementIsaacman reportedly poured $200 million of his own money into leading the 2021 all-civilian SpaceX Inspiration4 orbital mission, his first foray into space.
READ: SpaceX feat: Tech billionaire pulls off 1st private spacewalk
A staunch supporter of SpaceX and Musk, Isaacman frequently praises the company and its vision on social media platform X.
“There will inevitably be a thriving space economy — one that will create opportunities for countless people to live and work in space,” Isaacman said in an X post after Trump’s announcement. “At Nasa, we will passionately pursue these possibilities.”
Isaacman, a Pennsylvania native, founded the business that became Shift4 Payments from his family’s basement at just 16.
A skilled aviator, he is qualified to fly military aircraft, has performed at airshows, and set a world record for an around-the-world flight.
Future direction of NasaThe nomination comes at a delicate juncture for the storied US space agency, with experts anticipating significant shifts in direction during Trump’s second term.
The Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon, may face scrutiny as Trump has repeatedly voiced a preference for prioritizing a direct mission to Mars.
Also possibly on the chopping block is the massive, Nasa-owned Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket, which has been criticized for being exorbitantly expensive due to its lack of reusability, in contrast with SpaceX’s Starship, which is designed to be reusable but remains a prototype.
If Isaacman is confirmed by the Senate, his ties to SpaceX could invite heightened scrutiny of future contracting decisions.
Nasa currently has agreements with both SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin to develop lunar lander systems — an approach Isaacman has criticized, citing budgetary constraints and SpaceX’s capabilities.
“Congress is going to have to do its job here and exercise oversight,” Peter Juul of the Progressive Policy Institute told AFP, urging lawmakers to mandate dual-source contracting so Nasa “doesn’t become a glorified contracting agency for SpaceX.”
Still, as a swashbuckling entrepreneur in an era of expanding public-private partnerships in space, Isaacman’s appointment has drawn praise in some quarters.
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“The Planetary Society shares his vision of bold exploration in space, and, should he be confirmed, we look forward to working with him,” Casey Dreier, the nonprofit’s chief of space policywinph, told AFP.
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