NASA Just Announced It's New Chief, And There's Cause For Concern

Nominated and successfully appointed as the 15th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jared "Rook" Isaacman is also the youngest person to ever hold the position. Isaacman takes over as NASA is gearing up to "push the boundaries of human exploration, ignite the orbital economy, drive scientific discovery, and innovate for the benefit of all of humanity." Described as a pilot, astronaut, seasoned entrepreneur, philanthropist, and pioneer in commercial spaceflight, Isaacman says he's "focused on achieving ambitious goals, to return American astronauts to the Moon, establish an enduring presence on the lunar surface, and laying the groundwork to deliver on President Trump's vision of planting the Stars and Stripes on Mars."

That is exciting, indeed, and if NASA is gearing up to begin further explorations into space and returning to the moon, why should anyone be worried? While his achievements are certainly commendable, Isaacman is also a billionaire with ties to SpaceX and "private" space exploration. He is well known as an amateur jet pilot who became one of the first non-professional astronauts to complete a spacewalk.

Most notably, critics are concerned about Isaacman's ties to Elon Musk and SpaceX, a private organization that NASA frequently works with for space launches and beyond. Could that lead to more favorable terms and better contract positions for SpaceX? Time will tell, but Isaacman says the relationship is all business and "no different than that of NASA." The organization is already taking big steps towards the Artemis II mission, which will see astronauts returning to the lunar surface. Isaacman will undoubtedly be an influence on that mission and subsequent missions going forward.

Before continuing, it's important to note that there's not enough information to provide anything more than conjecture at this point. Isaacman does have ties to SpaceX and, by proxy, Elon Musk because of previous space flights, but that doesn't necessarily indicate a definitive path of action. He has an extensive history in the field with plenty of expertise, including flight time over 8,000 hours across multiple military jets, participation in over 100 airshows, and command of the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight during Inspiration4 aboard the SpaceX Dragon aircraft. In 2024, he also led the Polaris Dawn mission, which achieved several historic firsts. Believe it or not, there are a handful of historic U.S. space missions that weren't commanded by NASA directly.

Isaacman did appear before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, answering questions about his potential appointment at the time. The votes came back 19-9 in his favor, advancing his nomination. Four Democrats on the committee even voted with the Republicans, suggesting they didn't see a cause for concern.

SpaceX recently won a $714 million Pentagon contract from the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. That's for five of seven military missions, starting in 2027, to deploy military or intelligence-related equipment involving high-value and mission critical payloads. The company is being awarded contracts because of its capabilities and launch locations, among other considerations. In other words, they're not just randomly being handed out — there are many factors that go into choosing a space mission partner.