NASA has never known such an administrator. Throughout its history, the most famous space agency has been led by astronauts, scientists or politicians, but never by a businessman like Jared Isaacman.
This Wednesday, December 4, Donald Trump announced on his social networksocial network having chosen Isaacman to become the 15e NASA administrator in 2025, succeeding Bill Nelson. This announcement was felt as a earthquakeearthquake. This is the first time that a private astronaut has taken the reins of NASA. Jared Isaacman is known for making the first-ever private spacewalk in history.
Un double d’Elon Musk
Isaacman’s journey perfectly echoes that ofElon MuskElon Muskfirst political partner in the re-election of Donald Trump: a self-made man who became a billionaire, pilot, and space enthusiast. He firmly believes in the Martian vision of the founder of SpaceXSpaceX.
Jared Isaacman got his start by founding a payments company in 1999, known today as Shitf4 Payments. These beginnings remind us how Elon Musk began to make his fortune by launching PayPal.
A private pilot and astronaut
His difference from Musk lies in piloting. At the age of 20, Isaacman practiced aerobatics and in 2009 set a world record by flying around the world in a light jet. In 2012, he co-founded Draken International, a flight school for the United States armed forces. It is not uncommon today to see him flying over the Starship launch pad at Starbase, Texas.
Jared is best known for twice flying into space aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsules, on manned missions that he himself funded. He commands the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, where he spends two days in low orbit with three space tourists.
Last September, he commanded the Polaris Dawn mission, with two SpaceX engineers on board. He then carried out a brief spacesuit exit, known to be the first EVA in history not to be carried out by a professional astronaut.
SpaceX fan and friend of Musk
It is obvious that Donald Trump’s choice was strongly influenced by Elon Musk, whom he recruited into his government to chase tens of billions of dollars in savings in various American public institutions, including NASA. Jared Isaacman’s two space flights were made aboard SpaceX’s Dragon ship. Two SpaceX engineers (Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon) were part of the crew of PolarisPolaris DawnDawnand were able to verify theintegrityintegrity spacesuits developed by the company for EVA.
The continuation of the Polaris program built by Isaacman notably included a flight with the Starship. He also proposed to carry out a Dragon flight to repair the Hubble space telescope, a mission that he could well propose to NASA.
Priority on the Moon
Donald Trump’s announcement was greeted with enthusiasm… in the pro-Musk and pro-SpaceX sphere. No reaction from NASA at the time of writing these lines. For his part, Isaacman reacted to X (formerly TwitterTwitter) citing space as having great potential in orbital machining, in biotechnologiesbiotechnologies or even in miningmining extraterrestrial.
« The Americans will march on the LuneLune and on Mars and, thus, we will make life better on Earth », specifies Isaacman in his post on X. This is his main mission. He will first have to get the astronauts back to the Moon before the end of Trump’s mandate, i.e. in 2029 at the latest, otherwise China risks getting ahead of them.
Profound changes for NASA
The Trump government risks asking NASA to make a lot of sacrifices to go to Mars as quickly as possible, as Musk wishes. To save money, NASA will probably have to stop certain programs, particularly the most expensive, such as the SLS (Space Launch System)which could one day be replaced by the Starship.
For budgetary reasons, Isaacman could well put an end to the redundancies of certain programs, such as the use of a second lunar lander for the Artemis missions, requested from a consortium led by Blue Origin, or the Starliner spacecraft from Boeing, which is not still not operational.
The risk for NASA is to see part of its programs cannibalized by this priority to the Moon and Mars. The program Mars Sample ReturnMars Sample Return will no doubt be taken over, but Isaacman is by no means a scientist. He could prioritize NASA’s support for technological innovation in the study programs of the climateclimate or astronomy. Will NASA have the right to the chapter? We recall that a foundation close to Donald Trump has prepared a purge of all critical employees.
The limits
Jared Isaacman at the head of NASA is a choice that perfectly reflects Elon Musk’s vision. But he still has to manage to implement it, he who has no real experience in politics. However, this is the essence of the mission of the NASA administrator, who must negotiate the annual budget with Congress.
Between a pro-SpaceX vision, supported by Musk and Trump, and their desire to reduce government spending, Isaacman will have difficulty negotiating with Congress certain drastic budget cuts for certain programs, or even abandonments, which could lead to numerous losses of jobs at NASA, and perhaps the closure of certain centers. If Musk hopes to see the end of SLS, that is not the Senate’s view.
Finally, it remains to be seen how the NASA astronauts will react. Will they feel threatened by finding themselves led by another astronaut who has not gone through their long and difficult process of selection and training? Will they see in him someone legitimate to guarantee their security when they have to make serious decisions? Isaacman still flew twice as commander, and he could take another astronaut as deputy director. In any case, NASA under the Musk-Isaacman label will profoundly change its nature, and SpaceX will emerge as a winner.
