I am delighted to appoint Jared Isaacman, accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).”wrote the president-elect on his Truth Social network. This choice could potentially pose a conflict of interest, given the financial ties between Jared Isaacman, head of the financial company Shift4, and Elon Musk, boss of SpaceX and future member of Donald Trump's administration.
The 41-year-old businessman has become a leading figure in commercial space flight due to his collaborations with SpaceX and is a staunch supporter of Musk, who will co-chair a commission on government efficiency . Pennsylvania native Jared Isaacman started the company that became Shift4 Payments in the basement of his family home when he was 16 years old. A seasoned aviator, he is qualified to fly military aircraft, has participated in air shows and set a world record for a round-the-world flight.
“There will inevitably be a thriving space economy”
“There will inevitably be a thriving space economy – one that will create the opportunity for countless people to live and work in space. At NASA, we will passionately explore these possibilities”reacted Mr. Isaacman in a message. In September, he carried out the first private extra-vehicular spacewalk in history. If several dozen people have carried out civilian missions in space, he is the first private astronaut to have left a spacecraft, a risky operation until now reserved for professionals.
This excursion was part of the Polaris program, a collaboration between him and SpaceX, which is to include three missions in total. The financial conditions of this partnership remain confidential but Jared Isaacman is said to have invested $200 million of his personal fortune to lead SpaceX's Inspiration4 orbital mission in 2021, an entirely civilian mission and which constituted its first foray into space.
New trajectory for NASA
The appointment of Jared Isaacman comes at a delicate time for the famous American space agency, with experts anticipating significant changes in direction during Donald Trump's new term. The Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts to the Moon, could be at the center of attention, with Donald Trump having repeatedly expressed his preference for a mission to Mars.
The future of the Space Launch System (SLS) lunar rocket, owned by NASA, is also uncertain. The machine was particularly criticized for its high price and its impossible reuse, unlike SpaceX's Starship rocket, designed to make several trips into space but which remains a prototype.
If the nomination of Jared Isaacman as head of NASA is validated by the Senate, his links with SpaceX could be the subject of in-depth examination during potential future contracts with Elon Musk's company. “ Congress is going to have to do its job and provide oversight,” Peter Juul, a member of the Progressive Policy Institute think tank, told AFP. The researcher called on Congress to require contracts with multiple companies to prevent NASA from becoming a “SpaceX subcontracting agency.”
But while public-private partnerships in space are booming, the announcement of Jared Isaacman's appointment also sparked positive reactions. “The Planetary Society shares his vision for bold exploration of space and we look forward to working with him, should the Senate approve his nomination,” Casey Dreier, head of space policy for this organization which promotes space research, told AFP.
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