Newly elected US President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to nominate Jared Isaacman as the next NASA director. He is not only a famous businessman but also the first private astronaut to make a spacewalk.
Jared Isaacman as the new director of NASA
On Wednesday, December 4, newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he planned to nominate Jared Isaacman as the new NASA director. He is an American businessman and private astronaut, and is known for his support of Ukraine.
Isaacman is 41 years old. He made his money by creating the Shift4 Payments service. From about the age of 20, he began learning to pilot jet airplanes and was soon performing in air shows as part of a group of professional pilots.
In 2009, Isaacman set a record for a light jet. He flew it around the world in just 61 hours. It also owns Draken International, the world’s largest private operator of jet fighters.
Isaacman’s love of flying reached new heights when he became interested in space travel. He invested $200 million of his own money to organize the Inspiration4 private mission. In 2021, he became its crew commander. And in 2024, on his second space flight as commander of the Polaris Dawn mission, he became the first private astronaut to perform a spacewalk.
Isaacman and Musk
So far, it is difficult to say definitely whether to be happy or sad about this news. Isaacman has been linked for many years to financial transactions and joint space projects with Elon Musk. The situation when a state space agency and the Government Efficiency Department, which, among other things, is supposed to evaluate its work, are headed by business partners is modestly called a “conflict of interest”.
The main controversy swirls around the Artemis manned lunar mission program. Musk has repeatedly criticized him for being inefficient, which is at least partly true. On the other hand, the businessman considers his own Starship project as an alternative to it. That is, his business can receive billions of public funds.
Now that the director of NASA may actually be his business partner, the situation is even more complicated. If Musk decides that Artemis in its current form is not profitable at all and Isaacman gives him his support – would that be an effective solution, or standing up for his own business interests?
It should be mentioned that Artemis may not be touched at all in the end. The project was organized by a NASA director appointed by Trump during his first term in the White House. So it would be a miracle if it was just canceled like that.
Isaacman and Ukraine
Despite all these not-so-visible ties to Musk, most experts look favorably on Isaacman’s appointment. Even space professionals who are in the political camp hostile to Trump speak of him as a talented engineer, very smart and competent.
In addition, Isaacman is known for his philanthropy. In particular, part of the money raised for the Inspiration4 mission. Repeatedly he has helped Ukraine as well. In the autumn of 2022, the businessman donated $100,000 to purchase ambulances through the United24 platform. And on his second flight, he carried a Ukrainian flag with him into space.
Despite all his contacts, Isaacman is a really good man, as confirmed by astronaut Scott Kelly, who has been to Ukraine several times during the large-scale invasion and constantly supports our country:
“Jared is a talented engineer and an experienced pilot. He is a good example of the fact that the way to the stars can be different. By the way, Jared is a big supporter of Ukraine. He even bought one of the ambulances as part of my fundraiser, and then some more,” the astronaut says.
Read an exclusive interview with Scott Kelly in the new issue of Universe Space Tech, available at the end of December.
Provided by phys.org
