FPI / December 20, 2024
By Richard Fisher
Though not a Cabinet position, the leader of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a political prominence greater than most Cabinet members, as this person is responsible for American leadership into the “final frontier,” with competency requirements that straddle the realms of engineering, science, strategic-military and risk assessment and international diplomacy.
Jared Isaacman conducting the first private sector financed space walk on Sept. 13, 2024. / SpaceXIn keeping with his second term theme of assembling a Cabinet leadership of “outsiders” not beholden to Washington “swamp,” on Dec. 4, President-elect Donald Trump announced that 41-year-old finance/aerospace entrepreneur and billionaire Jared Isaacman would be his nominee to lead NASA, saying on his Truth Social media platform:
“I am delighted to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration… 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.”
While NASA has previously been led by NASA-trained Astronauts (Bill Nelson — Biden Admin.; Charles Bolden — Obama Admin.; Frederick Gregory — Bush Admin; Richard Truly — George H.W. Bush Admin.), Jared Isaacman brings a much different perspective as the first private sector Astronaut-Administrator who actually paid for his two space missions.
Demonstrating his passion for aviation and space, he is a 2011 graduate of the Florida-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the premier U.S. private aerospace university, and in 2012 founded Draken International, a private sector company that conducts contract adversary combat training for U.S. military pilots.
A fast-jet pilot himself, Isaacman’s Draken International employs a privately owned fleet of tactical fighters that include: a Russian Mig-29UB; Russian Mig-21bis; McDonnell Douglas A-4Ks; French Dassault Mirage F-1s; and Czech L-159E trainers.
The L-159Es have served as astronaut trainers for Isaacman’s two space missions.
In September 2021, Isaacman led, flew and financed the almost three-day Inspiration4 mission, a collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX corporation that saw Isaacman and three others fly on a SpaceX Dragon space capsule that also served as a campaign that raised $243 million for the St Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
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Trump picks space entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA added by Editor Two on December 20, 2024
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