US Senate confirms Musk's associate and billionaire astronaut Isaacman as NASA head

The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator under President Donald Trump, making the proponent of Mars missions and former associate of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk the 15th head of the space agency, UNN reports with reference to Reuters.

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The vote for Isaacman, whom Trump sidelined this year and then renamed as a candidate for NASA administrator, passed 67-30, two weeks after he told senators at his second hearing that NASA needed to accelerate the pace in outpacing China in returning to the Moon this decade.

Isaacman will lead an agency of 14,000 employees that is investing billions of dollars in its most ambitious space exploration: returning humans to the Moon to establish a long-term presence on the surface before eventually sending astronauts to Mars.

The White House, as part of its policy of increasing government efficiency under Musk, cut NASA's staff by 20% and sought to cut the agency's 2026 budget by about 25% from the usual $25 billion, jeopardizing dozens of space science programs that scientists and some officials consider priorities.

Isaacman envisions a re-emphasis on sending missions to Mars in addition to efforts for the Artemis lunar mission, as well as greater reliance on private companies such as SpaceX to save taxpayer money and stimulate competition in the private sector, the publication writes.

Of the 67 votes in favor of Isaacman, 16 were from Democrats and 51 were from Republicans. All 30 votes against his confirmation were from Democrats.

Maria Cantwell, a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees NASA, criticized the Trump administration's efforts to cut NASA's science division. She supported Isaacman's confirmation on Wednesday.

"During the nomination process, Mr. Isaacman emphasized the importance of developing a pipeline of future scientists, engineers, researchers (and) astronauts to support the advancement of science and technology and meet NASA's goals. I fully agree," Cantwell said.

Some Democratic senators said during Isaacman's hearing on December 3 that they were concerned about Isaacman's closeness to Musk, whose company has about $15 billion in NASA contracts and could benefit from certain policies Isaacman advocated.

Musk advocated for Isaacman's nomination when Trump was elected in 2024. Musk sought to reorient the US space program with a greater focus on Mars during his tenure as a close advisor to Trump.

Senate Republicans and some Democrats, including Cantwell, also emphasized the urgency of NASA's lunar race with China, which aims to send its astronauts to the lunar surface by 2030. NASA faces an "unstable" target of 2028, using its Space Launch System rocket and the giant SpaceX Starship rocket, which is under development, as a lander.

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, who also heads the US Department of Transportation, welcomed Isaacman on X, wishing him "success at the beginning of his tenure and leadership of NASA as we return to the Moon in 2028 and defeat China."

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