Billionaire J. Isaacman Confirmed as U.S. Space Agency Administrator After Controversial Confirmation Process

Billionaire investor Jared Isaacman has been voted in as the incoming leader of NASA, capping an unusual selection saga where the President nominated him, pulled the nomination, and then submitted his name once more.

The 42-year-old, an aviation enthusiast who became the first civilian to perform a extravehicular activity, is also the first NASA administrator in many years to come entirely from the private sector.

For numerous observers, the ultimate measure of his leadership will be judged on one pivotal challenge: its ability to return humans to the Moon in advance of the Chinese space program.

The administration has made clear a ambition for the US to create a permanent lunar base, both to enable harvesting materials and to act as a stepping stone for travel to Mars.

Confirmation Vote and Background

On This week, the U.S. Senate cleared the nomination with a decisive vote.

Trump originally rescinded the nomination in May, referencing a "thorough review of previous relationships".

At the time, the president was engaged in a dispute with the SpaceX CEO, one of his biggest supporters, with whom the nominee has professional ties.

Isaacman says he is now aligned with the administration's goal to mine the moon, putting him at odds with Musk, who has said that focus on the moon is a detour from the goal of reaching Mars.

Vision for NASA

In the current space battle, world powers are competing to utilize the moon's resources.

“Now is not the time for inaction but a time for action because if we lag, if we make a mistake, we may never catch up, and the implications could alter the strategic equilibrium here on our planet,” he told lawmakers recently.

The billionaire entrepreneur sees bringing in more industry players as crucial for achieving those objectives, according to a recently leaked document outlining his strategy for the agency.

In his confirmation hearing, he stood by the strategy, which he drafted when he was first nominated, but said it was a developing document.

His openness to multiple providers could also cause friction with SpaceX. Last week, he commended the issuance of a lucrative deal to Blue Origin, which is one of the few rivals of Musk's SpaceX.

In the leaked plan, he recommended the agency should expand collaboration with the scientific community, casting the agency as a "catalyst for scientific discovery".

He pointed to the scheduled deployment of the Roman Telescope as a flagship example.

"Should we be approaching something groundbreaking - like deploying the Roman Telescope - I will leave no stone unturned to get the program to the pad, even providing personal financing if that's what it requires to deliver the science," he wrote.

Personal Fortune

According to analyses, his wealth is pegged at approximately $1.2bn, made mostly from his payment processing company and the sale of his firm that trained pilots and managed a private fleet of military aircraft.

The top job at NASA will be his first job in politics, a break from the immediate predecessors appointed as head of the agency.

He will succeed the former transportation secretary, who has been the acting administrator since July.