Private pilot and astronaut Jared Isaacman could become the next administrator of NASA. © SpaceX
Donald Trump has chosen billionaire Jared Isaacman as future administrator of NASA. Close to Elon Musk, he is the first private astronaut in space history to have carried out an extra-vehicular exit. Voices are being raised in the United States, fearing that NASA will become an agency serving SpaceX.
A new appointment which raises controversy in the United States. President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office in January 2025, has chosen 41-year-old billionaire Jared Isaacman to succeed Bill Nelson, who has been in office since 2021.
Jared Isaacman made his fortune developing a payment system for businesses, Shift4 Payments. Passionate about aviation, he owns several planes and has financed a series of space missions with SpaceX. He also founded the company Draken International, which trains pilots for the American air forces in particular.
In 2021, he commanded the Inspiration4 mission. In September 2024, this time he commanded the Polaris Dawn mission, which should be followed by other similar missions with SpaceX. He became the first private astronaut in space history to perform a spacewalk from a Crew Dragon capsule.
After this proposal from Donald Trump, Congress must validate the nomination of Jared Isaacman. The close ties between the possible future administrator of NASA, SpaceX and Elon Musk (who should also play an important role in the future Trump administration), raise fears of a conflict of interest.
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