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    Trump Nominates Elon Musk Ally To Head Up NASA

    News & Politics

    On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump made another huge announcement about his cabinet, revealing that he has nominated Jared Isaacman, who is a close ally of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, to be the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Isaacman, 41, is a billionaire who has a well established reputation as a leader in the business world. He’s also a philanthropist, a pilot, and yes, even an astronaut. The real question is what in the world — see what I did there? — hasn’t the guy done? He’s lived four lifetimes in just 41 years.

    I’m in my early forties and Isaacman makes me feel like I’ve been frozen in place my whole life. Talk about an overachiever. But hey, isn’t that the kind of person you want heading up NASA? Once again, Trump proves that he is evolving as a leader by surrounding himself with the right people.

    “Jared will drive NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration,” Trump revealed in his statement about the pick. “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.”

    via The Daily Wire:

    Isaacman founded Shift4, a payment processing company that he leads as CEO, 25 years ago. “Jared has demonstrated exceptional leadership, building a trailblazing global financial technology company,” Trump said. “He also co-founded and served as CEO of Draken International, a defense aerospace company, for over a decade, supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, and our Allies.” Isaacman may shift NASA’s current mission set of going back to the moon to the bold vision laid out by Musk: going to Mars.

    The New York Times reported that Isaacman entered the space industry in early 2021 when he announced that he was financing a private mission to space in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

    “The mission was the first in which no one aboard was a professional astronaut,” The New York Times said in a report about Trump’s choice for head of NASA. “Isaacman followed up this year with another trip to orbit called Polaris Dawn. This mission — a collaboration with SpaceX — aimed to test out new technologies that would be needed to implement Musk’s dream of eventually sending people to Mars.”

    In a statement of his own, Isaacman said he was truly honored to have been chosen for the position, commenting on the exploration of space by saying it’s “the most incredible adventure in human history.”

    “On my last mission to space, my crew and I traveled farther from Earth than anyone in over half a century,” he explained. “I can confidently say this second space age has only just begun. Space holds unparalleled potential for breakthroughs in manufacturing, biotechnology, mining, and perhaps even pathways to new sources of energy. There will inevitably be a thriving space economy—one that will create opportunities for countless people to live and work in space.”

    “At NASA, we will passionately pursue these possibilities and usher in an era where humanity becomes a true spacefaring civilization,” he added in the statement. “I was born after the Moon landings; my children were born after the final space shuttle launch. With the support of President Trump, I can promise you this: We will never again lose our ability to journey to the stars and never settle for second place. We will inspire children, yours and mine, to look up and dream of what is possible. Americans will walk on the Moon and Mars and in doing so, we will make life better here on Earth.”

     

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