President-elect Donald Trump revealed his pick for the new head of NASA on Wednesday, announcing billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as his choice to succeed Bill Nelson, the current NASA administrator and former U.S. senator.
The 41-year-old Isaacman earned his fortune through a web-based payment processing business, Shift4, that he started as a teenager in his parents’ basement. Earlier this year Isaacman became the first person to conduct a spacewalk on a private space flight, briefly exiting a SpaceX Dragon capsule on Sept. 12 during a mission that also broke the distance record for a manned space flight not headed to the moon.
In an announcement made via social media, Trump lauded Isaacman’s business experience and “passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration.”
“I am delighted to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),” Trump wrote in a post on X. “Jared will drive NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration.”
Isaacman posted his acceptance of Trump’s appointment on X, promising that “we will never again lose our ability to journey to the stars and never settle for second place.”
“I am honored to receive President Trump’s ... nomination to serve as the next Administrator of NASA,” Isaacman wrote. “Having been fortunate to see our amazing planet from space, I am passionate about America leading the most incredible adventure in human history.”
In a Wednesday letter to employees, Isaacman said he would remain CEO of Shift4 until the U.S. Senate confirms him. Isaacman said he intends to retain the majority of his equity interest in Shift4 “subject to ethics obligations,” but reduce his voting power “to be commensurate with other Class-A shareholders” in the company if confirmed.
Isaacman has flown two self-financed flights on SpaceX vehicles, one in 2021 and earlier this year in the record-setting mission in which he also served as flight commander. Isaacman is a licensed jet pilot who also set a speed record flying around the world in 2009 while raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and later established Draken International, the world’s largest private fleet of fighter jets, per a report from The Associated Press.
Both of his space flights also raised funds for charities.
Isaacman’s spacewalk, in which he was tethered for about 10 minutes with his body partially outside the Dragon crew capsule, occurred as the capsule flew about 400 miles above the Earth’s surface. The spacecraft had earlier reached an altitude of 870 miles, breaking the previous record of 853 miles, set by Apollo-era astronauts, for a crewed ship that was not en route to the moon.
SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis made a similar extravehicular foray after Isaacman reentered the capsule. The other two passengers on the flight, former U.S. Air Force pilot Scott Poteet and SpaceX engineer Anna Menon, remained strapped in their seats for the spacewalk operations, which lasted for about two hours including pre- and post-walk procedures. All four astronauts were exposed to the vacuum of space since the Dragon capsule does not feature an isolated exit hatch for leaving the vehicle.
Isaacman has close ties to SpaceX boss and Trump ally Elon Musk. Musk is now set to join Trump’s second-term inner circle as co-leader of the proposed Department of Government Efficiency.
Current NASA administrator Nelson, 82, is a former Democratic senator from Florida who was nominated by President Joe Biden in 2021.