US Senate confirms private astronaut, Musk ally Jared Isaacman as NASA chief

The Senate confirmed Isaacman 67–30, weeks after he urged faster action to beat China back to the moon

The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman to become President Donald Trump’s NASA administrator, making an advocate of Mars missions and a former associate of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk the space agency’s 15th leader.

The vote on Isaacman, who Trump removed and then renominated as NASA administrator nominee this year, passed 67–30, two weeks after he told senators in his second confirmation hearing that NASA must pick up the pace to beat China back to the moon this decade.

Isaacman will lead an agency of about 14,000 employees as it invests billions of dollars into its most ambitious space exploration effort yet: returning humans to the moon to establish a long-term presence before eventually sending astronauts to Mars.

Nasa workforce cut in efficiency push

The White House, in its government efficiency drive led by Musk, has slashed NASA’s workforce by 20% and sought to cut the agency’s 2026 budget by roughly 25% from its usual $25 billion. The proposed cuts imperil dozens of space science programs that scientists and some officials regard as priorities.

Isaacman has outlined a revamped focus on Mars missions alongside the Artemis moon program, as well as greater reliance on private companies such as SpaceX to save taxpayer money and stimulate competition in the commercial space sector.

Of the 67 votes in Isaacman’s favor, 16 came from Democrats, joining 51 Republicans. All 30 votes against his confirmation were cast by Democrats.

Maria Cantwell, the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee that oversees NASA, has criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to cut NASA’s science division. She nevertheless supported Isaacman’s confirmation.

“During his nomination process, Mr. Isaacman emphasized the importance of developing a pipeline of future scientists, engineers, researchers and astronauts to support science and technology development and align with NASA’s objectives. I strongly agree,” Cantwell said.

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

Musk publicly backed Isaacman’s nomination after Trump was elected in 2024. During his time as a close adviser to Trump, Musk pushed to realign the U.S. space program toward a stronger focus on Mars.

Senate Republicans and some Democrats, including Cantwell, have stressed the urgency of NASA’s lunar race with China, which aims to land astronauts on the moon by 2030. NASA faces a shaky 2028 target using its Space Launch System rocket and SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft, still under development, as the lunar lander.

Acting NASA chief Sean Duffy, who also leads the US Transportation Department, congratulated Isaacman on X, wishing him “success as he begins his tenure and leads NASA as we go back to the Moon in 2028 and beat China.”