Overview
- President Donald Trump announced on Nov. 4 that he is again nominating Jared Isaacman to run NASA, months after withdrawing the original pick following a public dispute with Elon Musk.
- Isaacman confirmed the 62-page 'Project Athena' as an excerpt of a larger draft, asserting it was misrepresented and does not direct cancellations of SLS or the Gateway lunar outpost.
- The draft emphasizes streamlining NASA’s bureaucracy, expanding astronaut flights and lunar efforts, using commercial data where appropriate, strengthening science, and investing in technologies like AI and nuclear propulsion.
- As of Nov. 5, the White House had not formally sent the nomination to the Senate, and the process faces uncertainty during a government funding lapse that has furloughed many NASA employees.
- Executives and analysts at a space industry conference welcomed the renomination, even as questions persist about Isaacman’s ties to Musk and potential shifts in major programs.