Trump renominates billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA

President Trump announced that he is once again nominating billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, months after he pulled Isaacman’s name from consideration.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is once again nominating billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, months after he abruptly pulled Isaacman’s name from consideration in May.

"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," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

If confirmed, Isaacman would take over the leadership of NASA from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has been serving as the space agency’s interim administrator since July.

Isaacman, 42, is seen as a relative outsider to lead the space agency. The founder and CEO of the payment processing company Shift4, Isaacman has never worked at NASA or in the federal government.

He has, however, flown to space twice on commercial SpaceX missions. Isaacman funded both of those spaceflights himself, for an undisclosed sum.