Trump re-nominates Musk ally Jared Isaacman for position of NASA chief

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WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (Nov 4) he was nominating Jared Isaacman, the private astronaut and ally of billionaire Elon Musk, for the office of administrator of NASA.

Isaacman was removed from consideration to lead NASA earlier this year amid a high-profile falling-out between Trump and Musk. Sean Duffy, the head of the US Department of Transportation, was named acting NASA chief.

"This evening, I am pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of NASA," Trump said on social media. The role requires confirmation by the Senate, where Trump's Republican Party holds a 53-47 majority.

Last year, Trump, as president-elect, tapped Isaacman to lead NASA at the recommendation of Musk, the SpaceX CEO who had been an influential adviser to the president and sought to more closely align the US space program with his goal of flying missions to Mars.

Isaacman, a billionaire who commanded the first civilian space crew in 2021 aboard a SpaceX capsule, had spent months navigating the Senate confirmation process, balancing the Trump administration's desire to focus on Mars with NASA's multibillion-dollar strategy to return to the moon first in a geopolitical race with China.

"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 in his post.

Isaacman founded the Shift4 Payments company as a teenager.

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