By Michael Katz | Tuesday, 04 November 2025 08:20 PM EST
Billionaire tech entrepreneur and astronaut Jared Isaacman has been renominated as NASA administrator, following his initial nomination by former President Donald Trump, who had withdrawn the proposal amid tensions with Elon Musk. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has served as NASA’s acting director since May, when the Senate’s confirmation vote was postponed.
Trump praised Duffy’s interim leadership and reiterated support for Isaacman, stating in a Truth Social post that his “passion for space, astronaut experience, dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, and advancing the new space economy” made him “ideally suited to lead NASA.” The renomination comes after weeks of uncertainty over NASA’s leadership, with Musk recently criticizing Duffy for suggesting NASA be integrated into the Transportation Department and SpaceX contracts be opened to competitors.
Isaacman, 42, a co-founder of Shift4 and a private spaceflight advocate, has collaborated closely with Musk through SpaceX missions, including the first privately funded spacewalk. He expressed gratitude to Trump and Duffy in a post on X, acknowledging the “overwhelming support from the space-loving community.” Isaacman emphasized his commitment to NASA’s mission, stating, “The journey is never easy, but it is time to inspire the world once again to achieve the near-impossible.”
If confirmed, Isaacman would face scrutiny over balancing his ties to SpaceX with NASA’s objectives amid proposals to cut science programs and compete with China in lunar exploration. He concluded by declaring, “NASA will never be a caretaker of history — but will forever make history.”
