President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination on Wednesday of Jewish entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Isaacman is the founder and chief executive of Shift4, a payment processing company, and co-founder and chief executive of Draken International, a private fighter-jet company and contractor for the Defense Department.
“Jared will drive NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform.
Isaacman flew as commander on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s private spaceflight in 2021, which he helped fund. It was the first of three private spaceflights he purchased from Musk.
“Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe and advancing the new Space economy make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era,” Trump wrote.