The U.S. Senate will decide Jared Isaacman to nominate NASA administrators, weighing the space agency’s future amid growing influence of private enterprises.
Isaacman (entrepreneur, pilot and wealthy space enthusiast) will appear at a confirmation hearing to confirm his nomination for his post as NASA administrator at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday. The nominee will appear before the U.S. Senate Business, Science, and Transportation Committee. NASA will broadcast the event live through its website and the agency’s YouTube channel. You can also listen through the live feed below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQEJRLBFB84
President Donald Trump chose Isaacman as NASA, awaiting Senate confirmation. This is an unusual option for NASA administrators, a position that is often filled by former politicians or people with a more traditional space flight background.
The tech entrepreneur and pilot served as commanders of two private missions, performing space on SpaceX crew capsules. Isaacman’s first Inspiration4 in space was launched in September 2021, with the first All-Civilian crew members reaching orbit. Last year, Isaacman led a four-person crew on the Dragon Spacecraft on the North Star Dawn mission, which brought two crew members out of the capsule and conducted their first commercial spacewalk ever.
NASA is facing a tight budget and is repeating delays in its Artemis Moon program, and a new perspective is urgently needed. Isaacman’s unconventional background may be exactly what the agency needs, but some fear that his connection to the business sector may be biased towards the agency’s priorities.
