Jared Isaacman, who joined several others on a history-making SpaceX mission earlier this year, has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Trump made the announcement Wednesday morning on Truth Social, describing Isaacman as “an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut” who he said will lead NASA’s further endeavors in science, technology and inspiration.
(...) Over the past 25 years, as the Founder and CEO of Shift4, Jared has demonstrated exceptional leadership, building a trailblazing global financial technology company. He also co-founded and served as CEO of Draken International, a defense aerospace company, for over a decade, supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, and our Allies. Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era. Congratulations to Jared, his wife Monica, and their children, Mila & Liv!
@realDonaldTrump on Truth Social — Dec. 4, 2024, 10:58 a.m. (excerpt)
Isaacman rode to space in September among a crew a four on board a SpaceX Dragon capsule for Polaris Dawn, during which he performed the first-ever private spacewalk to help test SpaceX’s new spacesuits.
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Isaacman’s nomination was announced the same day as Trump’s picks of Daniel Driscoll for Army secretary, Adam Boehler for special presidential envoy for hostage affairs and Peter Navarro for White House adviser.
Isaacman would replace former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who was sworn in as the 14th NASA administrator on May 3, 2021. He was tasked with carrying out President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ vision for NASA to demonstrate American leadership in air, space, and on Earth for the benefit of all humanity, according to NASA.gov.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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