Isaacman Confirmed at NASA Administrator
Senators Vote 67-30 in Favor of the Nomination
Entrepreneur Jared Isaacman has been confirmed as the next Administrator of NASA. The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted 67-30 in favor of the nomination.
Isaacman was first nominated for the job by President Donald Trump in December, 2024, and he appeared to be headed for an easy confirmation. But that was derailed when the nomination was abruptly withdrawn in late May, when Trump posted on Truth Social “After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head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!”
It turned out that Isaacman was the correct nominee after all, He was re-nominated in November, and faced little opposition in the Senate Commerce Committee.
Isaacman has financed and led two private missions into space carrying all-civilian crews. In 2021, Isaacman was commander of the Inspiration4 mission, which was the first orbital spaceflight with an all-private crew.
Then in 2024, Isaacman was commander of the Polaris Dawn mission, which saw the first spacewalk by a private astronaut. Polaris Dawn was placed in an elliptical orbit which saw the crew travel further from the Earth than any mission since the Apollo program.
During his confirmation hearings, Isaacman was questioned about his commitment to the Artemis program to return humans to the Moon. He reassured the committee that he would work towards that goal. “It’s imperative for our national security, our pride and all that we stand to gain in exploration that we never come in second place,” Isaaacman said during his initial round of hearings.
The Satellite Industry Association was quick to offer congratulations to Isaacman shortly after the vote. “On behalf of SIA and our members, I would like to congratulate Jared Isaacman on his confirmation by the U.S. Senate and becoming the new head of NASA,” said Tom Stroup, president of the Satellite Industry Association. “As an astronaut and aviator, Mr. Isaacman has expertise in both space and aeronautics, and his business enterprise background provides him with the skills needed to bring a commercial and entrepreneurial focus to NASA. As the commercial satellite industry continues to expand in size and importance, SIA looks forward to working with Mr. Isaacman and his NASA leadership team to help ensure America’s continued leadership in the global commercial space and satellite industries.”