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President Donald Trump on Tuesday renominated billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to serve as NASA administrator, months after withdrawing the original nomination due to disagreements over the agency’s direction.
The president first tapped Isaacman for the role last year, but the White House pulled the nomination in May and named Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to serve as acting administrator. Duffy has overseen the agency on an interim basis since then.
“Sean Duffy has done an incredible job as Interim Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),” President Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This evening, I am pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of NASA.
“Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era,” Trump said.
Isaacman is the founder of Shift4, a payment processing company that helped make him a billionaire. He has no prior government experience but has become a prominent figure in the commercial space sector.
In 2022, he partnered with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to launch the Polaris Program, a private initiative aimed at sending civilians into space to test new technology and conduct research. Isaacman served as commander on the program’s first mission.
If confirmed, Isaacman would be the second consecutive NASA chief to come from outside the traditional government and aerospace leadership pipeline. His nomination now heads to the Senate, where he will need majority approval to take the helm of the space agency.
As RSBN previously reported, his nomination in December 2024 received bipartisan support and endorsements from 28 former NASA astronauts.
“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA. I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote at the time.
In response to the withdrawal, Isaacman expressed gratitude for the nomination and support received.
“I am incredibly grateful to President Trump @POTUS, the Senate and all those who supported me throughout this journey. The past six months have been enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling. I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the complexities of government and the weight our political leaders carry,” Isaacman posted to X.