Trump renominates Musk ally Isaacman as NASA chief

Donald Trump has renominated Jared Isaacman for the position of NASA administrator, just five months after his original nomination was withdrawn. Isaacman, an e-commerce magnate who has already flown into orbit twice as a customer and partner of SpaceX on purely private astronaut missions, has close ties to Elon Musk and his space company.

His return comes amid tensions between Musk and current acting NASA chief Sean Duffy, who recently criticized delays in the Starship project and is reportedly trying to place NASA under the Department of Transportation.
The president praised Isaacman's passion for space and his vision of linking NASA more closely with commercial projects. Isaacman promised to promote more frequent missions, a return to the moon, and a long-term orbital economy. He also wants to advance the development of nuclear propulsion for flights to Mars.
The appointment still needs to be confirmed by the Senate, where Trump's Republican Party currently holds a majority with 53 seats to 47.

(reuters, max)