NASA's new leader, Jared Isaacman, makes his priorities clear

NASA’s new administrator, billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, told NBC News about his priorities for the space agency.

NASA’s new leader, billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, is making his priorities for the space agency clear in his first days on the job.

Isaacman was sworn in Thursday as the 15th administrator of NASA. The same day, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing NASA to return astronauts to the moon by 2028, begin the development of a permanent outpost on the lunar surface by 2030, and lay the foundations for future exploration of Mars.

The order will likely provide a roadmap for Isaacman and NASA.

“Within the next three years, we are going to land American astronauts again on the moon, but this time with the infrastructure to stay,” Isaacman told NBC News in an interview after his swearing in on Thursday.

He has stepped into the role at a key time for NASA: The Trump administration has made it an urgent objective to return astronauts to the moon before China’s astronauts reach the lunar surface.