Billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman is back in the race to be the next NASA Administrator after US President Donald Trump renominated him for the position on Wednesday. In a Truth Social post, Trump hailed Isaacman’s “passion for space” and astronaut experience and called him “ideally suited” for the job. The announcement came after Isaacman’s several closed door meetings with Trump in recent days.
( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )
( Donald J. Trump – Nov 04, 2025, 5:42 PM ET )Sean Duffy has done an incredible job as Interim Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This evening, I am pleased to nominate Ja… pic.twitter.com/dgVfhnx3ys
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) November 4, 2025
Jared Isaacman makes a comeback
The billionaire is the founder of Shift4 payments company and an accomplished pilot and astronaut. He has led two private space missions (Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn) which he commissioned in collaboration with SpaceX. During Polaris Dawn in 2024, Isaacman became the first human to conduct a private spacewalk.
Trump had first nominated Isaacman in December 2024 but withdrew in June this year, reportedly citing the latter’s past donations to Democratic candidates. While this was the popular reason, Ars Technica’s Eric Berger reported that Sergio Gor, the then leader of the White House Office of Personnel Management, and current US Ambassador to India, derailed Isaacman’s candidacy.
In a post on X Wednesday, Isaacman thanked Trump for his renomination, vowing to make history with NASA.
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
Isaacman enjoys strong backing from industry experts including SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who reportedly pushed for his appointment to the top NASA post. “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,” he posted.
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Isaacman will be taking over the job from acting NASA chief and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, whom Musk was strictly against. Industry experts were reportedly concerned about Duffy trying to bring NASA under the Department of Transportation, ending the space agency’s autonomy.
Meanwhile, Isaacman is preparing to take on the role and has even drawn up a detailed roadmap for NASA. While his focus is on long-term missions to Mars, he also wants NASA to lead in lunar exploration and land astronauts on the Moon ahead of China.
In April, Isaacman testified before the US Senate committee hearing after his nomination and was just days away from a vote before his name was pulled. With the US government currently in shutdown, his official appointment could extend into 2026, per Berger.
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