I guess it was too much to pick a former astronaut to lead NASA, so the Trump administration is turning to a wealthy space tourist to lead the agency. Jared Isaacman, the CEO and founder of a credit card-processing company, was nominated to be the next administrator of NASA.
Mr. Isaacman main experience with space has been procuring SpaceX flights to fulfill his hobby of modeling space suits in orbit. His last space jaunt was back in September where he left the capsule while in orbit for what was called the first commercial space walk.
Unlike the Department of Justice and DOD, a nomination at this level is unlikely to be challenged by Congress. So this is most likely a nomination that will move through the system without interruption.
What this means for NASA is unclear at the moment, but it appears the private contractors and tourists will be in charge for a while. Will this lead to the continuation of serious space endeavors or simply space stunts and contacted boondoggles?
We can only hope that the overall mission of NASA is respected and advanced by whoever ultimately leads the agency in the the years to come. Many missions, including the Artemis mission, need the full focus of management as well as support from the Congress.
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