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Trump Renominates Jared Isaacman to Lead NASA as Leaked 'Project Athena' Plan Faces Scrutiny

Isaacman calls the leaked 62-page document a draft misread by critics.

Overview

  • The White House has not yet formally sent the renomination to the Senate, leaving the timeline for a hearing and vote uncertain.
  • Isaacman says the plan does not direct cancellations of SLS or Gateway and denies any intent to close NASA centers.
  • Project Athena outlines priorities to streamline bureaucracy, expand astronaut and lunar missions, buy commercial Earth-observation data, and invest in AI and nuclear propulsion.
  • Space industry figures broadly welcomed the renomination this week, praising the prospect of clearer direction even as debate over the plan continues.
  • Conflict-of-interest questions persist over Isaacman’s ties to Elon Musk and SpaceX, and NASA is operating with widespread furloughs during the federal funding lapse.