Overview
- President Trump announced on Truth Social that he is again nominating private astronaut and entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator, months after withdrawing the pick in May just before an expected Senate vote.
- Isaacman must be confirmed by the Senate; his nomination had previously advanced through the Senate Commerce Committee in late April.
- A leaked 62-page 'Athena' blueprint attributed to Isaacman is circulating on Capitol Hill, proposing to cancel the Space Launch System after Artemis 3, purchase science data from commercial providers, and move taxpayer-funded climate research out of NASA.
- NASA staff and industry figures expressed concern about the proposals, with some warning the approach could alienate Congress and traditional contractors, according to reporting on the document.
- Interim administrator and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently moved to open NASA’s Artemis lunar-lander work to competitors, prompting public criticism from Elon Musk and intensifying scrutiny of Isaacman’s ties to SpaceX and potential conflicts of interest.