PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP
Jared Isaacman, close to Elon Musk, was chosen by Trump to head NASA.
UNITED STATES – New appointment in the future administration of Donald Trump. The President-elect of the United States announced this Wednesday, December 4, that he had chosen billionaire Jared Isaacman, the first private astronaut to have carried out a spacewalk, as head of NASA.
“I am pleased to appoint Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).”wrote the former and future Republican president on his Truth Social network.
This choice could potentially pose a conflict of interest, given the relationship between the head of the financial company Shift4 and Elon Musk, boss of SpaceX and future member of Donald Trump’s administration. The South African entrepreneur did not fail to congratulate his friend on X after the announcement of his appointment.
Close to Elon Musk and SpaceX
“Jared will be the driving force behind NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in science, technology and space exploration.”for his part added the Republican billionaire who will take office on January 20.
Jared Isaacman, 41, has become one of the leading figures in commercial spaceflight due to his collaborations with SpaceX.
A Pennsylvania native, he started the company that became Shift4 Payments in his family’s basement at the age of 16 in 1999, after dropping out of school. A seasoned aviator, he is qualified to fly military aircraft, has participated in air shows and set a world record for a flight around the world.
“True space civilization”
“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 Jared Isaacman in a post. “At NASA, we will passionately pursue these possibilities and usher in an era where humanity becomes a true space civilization.”he promised.
Reading this content may result in cookies being placed by the third party operator who hosts it. Taking into account the choices you have expressed regarding the deposit of cookies, we have blocked the display of this content. If you wish to access it, you must accept the “Third Party Content” category of cookies by clicking on the button below.
Play Video
In September, Jared Isaacman became the first private astronaut to complete a spacewalk. This excursion was part of the Polaris program, a collaboration between the expected new leader of NASA and SpaceX, which must include three missions in total. Three years earlier, it was already with a SpaceX capsule, Crew Dragon, that he had carried out a flight into space with only tourists.
The financial terms of the partnership between the two companies 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 .
He is also a strong supporter of SpaceX and friend of Elon Musk, who was tasked by Donald Trump with co-chairing a commission on government efficiency. Enough to revive concerns around possible conflicts of interest.
Also see on HuffPost :
Reading this content may result in cookies being placed by the third party operator who hosts it. Taking into account the choices you have expressed regarding the deposit of cookies, we have blocked the display of this content. If you wish to access it, you must accept the “Third Party Content” category of cookies by clicking on the button below.
Play Video
