Jared Isaacman as NASA Admin : +1 for Cautious Optimism

Some of President-elect Trump’s proposed appointments, such as Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, have provoked disdain. Others, such as Scott Bessent for Secretary of the Treasury, brought on careful contemplation. Trump’s proposal to have billionaire Shift4 CEO and SpaceX astronaut Jared Isaacman come in as the new NASA Administrator has been met with a generally positive, though cautious, nod of approval. I have to admit it: add me to those who think that Isaacman could be an effective and popular NASA chief.

Reality check

Though he’s the CEO of a payment processing company that handles hundreds of billions of dollars per year, Jared Isaacman lacks the experience in dealing with bureaucrats that previous administrators wielded. This lack will show itself on several levels. From unintended bureaucratic faux pas to slow progress or quick missteps in reforms because of his relative unfamiliarity with NASA, the possibility of ‘bad optics’, as it is called in the Trump world, is real.

Some commentators have suggested that he needs a co-administrator who knows the ropes at NASA and can help him navigate the red tape. This is unrealistic. Slashing red tape is supposed to be one of the top priorities for the new administration, not navigating the red tape. We can expect the occasional wrong turn that, if handled correctly, will further hone skills and the public will somehow have to find the wherewithal to let him carry on despite the gaffes.

Even possible advantages are filled with dark sides. Since Isaacman has been a long-term client of and service supplier to SpaceX, he might know better than most how Musk, as co-head of the Department of Governmental Efficiency, will work. It will be his job to interpret Musk to NASA and the public.

What not to worry about (much, at the moment)

Isaacman’s ties with SpaceX are a bone of contention among those who are afraid of installing someone who is as close to Musk as he is. They worry about more contracts going to SpaceX, and programmes and projects closing in order to free up funding for favoured ones. From what I’ve read, the fear is overblown, while Isaacman is a businessman, he is also genuinely curious about space. SpaceX already has the largest government launch contracts; oversight is required to make sure this does not become much greater, but given the scalpel that NASA will be under for general cost cutting purposes, little will change.

Who Is Jared Isaacman

The major project that is truly under the gun is Artemis, not because Isaacman doesn’t see us as needing to go to the Moon. The major problem is with the SLS. And that is going to take a businessman to solve if other factors, such as the astropolitical race with China is taken into consideration and time is of the essence. Ending the SLS’ development could set back the planned lunar missions even further. Navigating the managerial issues, ensuring technical improvement, and keeping some semblance of a launch time will take adroit maneuvering on the administrator’s part while convincing all concerned that this is the proper path for fulfilling the Artemis Accords.