Jared Isaacman, the billionaire private astronaut nominated by President Donald Trump to lead NASA, faces a second confirmation hearing on Wednesday as senators weigh whether his commercial-space background can accelerate America's return to the moon.
Isaacman (who has flown twice to orbit on private SpaceX missions) plans to tell lawmakers that losing ground to China in the lunar race "could shift the balance of power here on Earth." He will frame his appearance as a message of urgency after his initial nomination.
Donald Trump renominated Jared Isaacman in November, shortly after interim NASA chief Sean Duffy clashed publicly with Elon Musk by opening the agency's Artemis contracts to new competitors.
Falling behind China could shift global power balance
Senators are expected to revisit Isaacman's ties to Musk and press him on Project Athena, his long-term draft plan for NASA that calls for nuclear electric propulsion, a Mars exploration program, and sweeping efficiency reforms.
Isaacman has already assured lawmakers that he would keep Artemis (NASA's multibillion-dollar program to land astronauts on the moon) at the forefront, arguing the agency can advance lunar and Mars missions in parallel.
If confirmed, he would oversee roughly 14,000 employees and a budget the Trump administration aims to cut by 25% for 2026, after nearly 4,000 staff accepted buyouts this year. For now, we are waiting for confirmation, so stay tuned for further updates.