Former Pick to Head NASA Could Be Back in the Running

The president pulled Jared Isaacman’s nomination in May because of differences over a Mars mission. But Isaacman met with the acting NASA chief this week.

Jared Isaacman testifies at a Senate committee hearing on Capitol Hill on April 9, 2025. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Jared Isaacman’s ambitions to become NASA’s next administrator could have new life.

The private astronaut met with Transportation Secretary and current acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy on Oct. 13 for what could be the restart of his consideration as the space agency’s new full-time leader.

“Secretary Duffy and Jared Isaacman had an excellent meeting yesterday,” NASA press secretary Bethany Stephens said in a statement. “At President Trump’s direction, Secretary Duffy, in his capacity as acting NASA Administrator, is meeting with and vetting several candidates for the permanent role.”

Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments and the aerospace company Draken International, worked alongside Elon Musk for many years.

He was President Donald Trump’s pick to head NASA in December, and his nomination made it past the Senate space committee hearings for an official confirmation vote on the Senate floor. But his nomination was suddenly revoked before the vote on May 31, with the White House suggesting that Isaacman did not completely align with the administration’s agenda for space, particularly Trump’s ambitions to land on Mars.

“The administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump’s bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in an email received by The Epoch Times at the time.

“It’s essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda, and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.”

However, Isaacman accepted the withdrawal by expressing his continued patriotism and support for America’s space efforts.

“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,” Isaacman said in a statement on May 31. ”I have not flown my last mission—whatever form that may ultimately take—but I remain incredibly optimistic that humanity’s greatest spacefaring days lie ahead. I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity and cheering on our President and NASA as they lead us on the greatest adventure in human history.”

He replied to Duffy’s reaction on X to SpaceX’s successful Starship test flight by simply dropping an affirmative 100 emoji and the emoji of the American flag.

Meanwhile, Duffy remains committed to performing the duties of NASA administrator, especially working to ensure the space agency retains its supremacy in Low Earth Orbit and returns to the moon ahead of communist China. He recently traveled to Johnson Space Center in Houston to participate in the unveiling of NASA’s latest class of astronaut candidates.

The Epoch Times reached out to Stephens for further confirmation of Duffy and Isaacman’s meeting.

Reuters contributed to this report.