(Washington) The US Senate on Wednesday approved the nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman, close to Elon Musk, at the head of NASA after several U-turns from Donald Trump and months of groping around the future of the prestigious space agency.
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Aged 42, this businessman who made his fortune in online payments will take the helm of an institution threatened by major budget cuts and under political pressure to send astronauts to the Moon and Mars as quickly as possible.
After having seemed to want to favor the exploration of the red planet, the Trump administration now appears to want to concentrate more on a return of the Americans as quickly as possible to the natural satellite of the Earth, where the Chinese also want to land.
Jared Isaacman thus pledged at the beginning of December to win the space competition between the two greatest world powers.
“The United States will return to the Moon before our great rival, and we will establish a lasting presence there,” he promised before a commission of elected officials.
However, more and more voices have been raised in recent months in the United States to warn of the possibility that Beijing will arrive first, in the face of multiple delays accumulated by NASA’s Artemis lunar program.
At the head of the agency, Mr. Isaacman will notably have to ensure that Elon Musk delivers the lander ordered from him on time, which raises concerns about a possible conflict of interest, the two men being known to be close.
Jared Isaacman has indeed flown twice with Mr. Musk’s company SpaceX and in 2024 became the first private astronaut to carry out an extra-vehicular spacewalk.
Despite his closeness to Mr. Musk, he is supported by many in the space sector who consider him competent and passionate.
He was appointed by Donald Trump in December 2024 to take charge of NASA, but had this support withdrawn in April before being reappointed by the Republican president at the beginning of November.
These reversals occurred against a backdrop of strong tensions in the spring between the Republican and the multi-billionaire Elon Musk, who seem to have since reconnected.
