Jared Isaacman makes second appeal for NASA administrator position

Jared Isaacman, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next administrator of NASA, appears before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Jared Isaacman is set to appear before lawmakers once again for a hearing to become NASA’s next Senate-confirmed administrator.

The commercial astronaut and entrepreneur will appear alongside Steven Haines, a nominee to be the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis. The hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

A livestream of the hearing will be available shortly before the proceedings begin.



In an excerpt of his written opening remarks, Isaacman emphasized the importance of the moment, stating that with the Artemis 2 launch just around the corner the “challenging endeavor” is “one that requires full-time leadership.”

“This is not the time for delay, but for action, because if we fall behind — if we make a mistake — we may never catch up, and the consequences could shift the balance of power here on Earth,” Isaacman wrote.

“The Congress, and specifically this Committee, understand the urgency of the moment –- placing a historic investment in human space exploration that President Trump signed in the one big beautiful bill. It’s now time for NASA and our partners to deliver.”

While the shared snippets of Isaacman’s remarks don’t explicitly mention China, those prepared by the committee’s chairman, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), do point to the geopolitical rivalry in space.

“I know Mr. Isaacman will be a strong leader who sees that that Artemis 2 launches safely, successfully, and without delay,” Cruz wrote. “He must then turn to Artemis 3, landing Americans on the Moon before China, which is aiming to send its own taikonauts there by 2030.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, questions Jared Isaacman, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next administrator of NASA, during a hearing, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Isaacman, who funded and commanded the Polaris Dawn and Inspiration4 free-flying Crew Dragon missions, was picked for the NASA Administrator position by President Donald Trump back in December 2024 and his nomination was progressing smoothly through the Senate in the spring. However, he was yanked from consideration by the President at the same time as a public fallout with SpaceX founder and one of the President’s biggest political donors, Elon Musk.

In the months since his nomination was formally withdrawn, Isaacman remained publicly supportive of the President and appeared at the White House during a gathering of tech industry leaders. He was re-nominated for the job in early November.

Thank you, Mr. President @POTUS, for this 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.

The support from the space-loving community has… pic.twitter.com/CUpyTXfB14

— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) November 4, 2025

The second attempt for Isaacman to get the NASA Administrator position comes nearly eight months after he first appeared for his nomination hearing. This go around, things seem to be moving even more quickly with a vote to advance his nomination to the full Senate already scheduled for Monday, Dec. 8, at 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 UTC).

Like with his first nomination, Isaacman has received broad support from the space community. A letter of support was signed by 36 former astronauts and submitted on Nov. 22 to the chair and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Marcia Cantwell (D-WA).

This is an expansion of a similar letter signed by 28 astronauts in March. The Nov. 22 letter includes signatories like Charlie Bolden, Peggy Whitson and Nicole Stott.

“We believe that Jared Isaacman is clearly qualified to lead NASA at this critical juncture,” the letter reads in part. “As an entrepreneur, pilot, and commander of two groundbreaking space missions, he brings credibility and capability to make a difference now.

“Most importantly, Jared has a genuine passion for space exploration and a genuine admiration for NASA as an American institution.”

One difference between the last time Isaacman testified before senators and now was the leaking of a draft plan that Isaacman crafted called “Athena” that laid out his vision for how to approach changes at NASA.

In a lengthy post to X following the leak in early November, Isaacman published an overview of the full, 100-page plan, which he said focused on five main priorities:

Reorganize and empower American leadership in the high ground of space Solving the orbital economy NASA as a force multiplier for science Investing in the future

“This plan never favored any one vendor, never recommended closing centers, or directed the cancellation of programs before objectives were achieved,” Isaacman wrote in closing. “The plan valued human exploration as much as scientific discovery. It was written as a starting place to give NASA, international partners, and the commercial sector the best chance for long-term success.”