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Matías S. Zavia
WriterAerospace and energy industries journalist at Xataka.
Alba Mora
WriterAn established tech journalist, I entered the world of consumer tech by chance in 2018. In my writing and translating career, I've also covered a diverse range of topics, including entertainment, travel, science, and the economy.
Everything was set for private astronaut Jared Isaacman, who has flown into space twice with SpaceX, to take the helm at NASA. However, the Trump administration rescinded his nomination on the same day that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk left the White House.
Nomination withdrawn. According to The Washington Post, Isaacman was informed on Friday that his nomination as the future NASA administrator would be withdrawn. His nomination was announced in December and received approval from the Senate Committee on Commerce.
“The past six months have been enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling,” Isaacman shared on his X account after the news broke. He added, “I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the complexities of government and the weight our political leaders carry... The president, NASA, and the American people deserve the very best–an administrator ready to reorganize, rebuild, and rally the best and brightest minds to deliver the world-changing headlines NASA was built to create.”
What happened behind closed doors? Isaacman was viewed as a proponent of accelerating lunar and Martian missions. He was willing to take on China in exploring the solar system with a reduced budget, thanks to public-private partnerships. However, he was also seen as a clear ally of Musk, having been recommended by Musk himself, despite the potential conflict of interest.
On Saturday, the White House issued a statement that provided some insight, saying that “President Trump’s bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars” remains intact. However, Isaacman wasn’t aligned enough with Trump’s views and secured his position largely due to Musk’s influence over the president. In fact, the statement emphasized that “it’s essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda.”
The lowest budget in 65 years. Proposed cuts, if approved by Congress, would reduce NASA’s budget by 24%. Both Isaacman and Musk opposed eliminating scientific missions, particularly those most impacted by these budget reductions.
Isaacman would have had to oversee NASA with the lowest funding since 1961. The presidential proposal for 2026 suggests a drastic cut of nearly 47% for the entire Science division of the agency, reducing its budget from $7.334 billion to a scant $3.907 billion. This significant reduction would likely lead to the immediate cancellation of up to 40 missions. Many of them are already active or planned for the future, despite NASA’s proven efficiency in these areas.
Who will lead NASA? Trump is expected to make an announcement soon. However, Ars Technica reports that one candidate under consideration is former Air Force Lieutenant General Steven Kwast. Kwast is a military officer known for his political loyalty to Trump and appears to be “far less oriented toward NASA’s civil space mission and far more focused on seeing space as a battlefield.”
Until an official announcement is made, NASA’s future remains uncertain. Additionally, Isaacman’s departure doesn’t seem to be related to the efforts of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which are actively proceeding after the cancellation of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. According to space journalist Eric Berger, “if Kwast is the nominee (as anticipated), he is definitely not a friend to old space. He’s very pro-commercial space.”
Image | NASA
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