Trump renominates billionaire Jared Isaacman to be new NASA head

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on Nov 4, 2025

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Two-time space traveler and billionaire Jared Isaacman had been on the cusp of becoming NASA’s next administrator last May when President Donald Trump yanked his nomination.

Trump has changed his mind.

“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 wrote Tuesday on a post on Truth Social announcing he was putting Isaacman back in a position to lead the agency.

Isaacman had sat through the Senate confirmation hearings in the spring and signs pointed to a bipartisan approval of his nomination to become the 15th administrator taking over the role vacated by Bill Nelson who left the position at the end of the Biden administration.

But Trump had a falling out with Elon Musk, with whom Isaacman has had a close business relationship having flown with SpaceX twice on private orbital missions.

At the time Trump cited Isaacman’s past donations to Democratic politicians as the reason why, but that he has since had his teams put Isaacman through a “thorough review of prior associations.”

After Biden left office, Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro took on the role of acting administrator, then handing that off to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Isaacman made his fortune with Shift4, a credit card processing company, and also founded Lakeland-based Draken International, which trains fighter pilots. He funded two missions to space flying on SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft leading the Inspiration4 flight in 2021 and last year’s Polaris Dawn flight.

Isaacman took to X to thank the president for the opportunity.

“It will be an honor to serve my country under your leadership. I am also very grateful to @SecDuffy, who skillfully oversees @NASA alongside his many other responsibilities,” he wrote. “The support from the space-loving community has been overwhelming. I am not sure how I earned the trust of so many, but I will do everything I can to live up to those expectations.

“To the innovators building the orbital economy, to the scientists pursuing breakthrough discoveries and to dreamers across the world eager for a return to the Moon and the grand journey beyond–these are the most exciting times since the dawn of the space age — and I truly believe the future we have all been waiting for will soon become reality.

“And to the best and brightest at NASA, and to all the commercial and international partners, we have an extraordinary responsibility — but the clock is running. The journey is never easy, but it is time to inspire the world once again to achieve the near-impossible — to undertake and accomplish big, bold endeavors in space…and when we do, we will make life better here at home and challenge the next generation to go even further. NASA will never be a caretaker of history — but will forever make history.

“Godspeed, President Donald J. Trump, and Godspeed NASA, as America leads the greatest adventure in human history,” he wrote.

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