If Jared Isaacman becomes NASA’s administrator, as he’s likely to do, the agency will prioritize Mars over the Moon under the Trump administration, judging by some of his first public comments on the matter.
Jared Isaacman has been active on social media since Trump named him as his choice to become the U.S. space agency’s next administrator, which he did in early December. But the astronaut mostly stuck to posting about flying planes, his payments company Shift4, and retweeting images of space without comment.
On February 16, he offered a glimpse at what NASA could focus on over the next four years. Retweeting a photo of Mars, Isaacman said the imagery makes him feel “energized about the future.” He thinks it’s “so important for people to understand the profound implications of sending humans to another planet,” he added.
When I see a picture like this, it is impossible not to feel energized about the future. I think it is so important for people to understand the profound implications of sending humans to another planet:
– We will develop groundbreaking technologies in propulsion, habitability,… https://t.co/vEG2KHU3eS
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) February 16, 2025
The post appears to indicate that a crewed trip to Mars will become a key priority for NASA, an agency beset by uncertainty since Trump’s election. Like many other governmental bodies, it seems major cuts are on their way, in addition to widespread layoffs. Boeing, a major NASA contractor, is preparing to lay off hundreds of employees connected to its space division, citing expected revisions to the Artemis program. During his inaugural address, Trump did make a reference to planting an American flag on Mars, but didn’t mention the Moon.
NASA’s Artemis program has been beset by numerous delays and cost overruns. Artemis 2, which would see U.S. astronauts orbiting the Moon, was originally scheduled for November 2024, but is now scheduled for April 2026. The next mission, which would put boots on the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo program, was supposed to blast off later this year, but now won’t take place until at least the middle of 2027.
The whole point of Artemis, aside from returning to the Moon after so long, is to develop the requisite technologies, skills, and experience for a future Mars mission. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has complained that Artemis is a distraction, and that the wiser approach is to tackle Mars directly. Having a direct line to the White House, Musk is likely to influence the future direction of NASA. And with Isaacman potentially heading the space agency, the future of the Artemis program is now in serious doubt.
Until his X post, Isaacman largely avoided commenting on what he envisions as NASA’s priorities. One exception was a 45-minute fireside chat at the Space Force Association’s Spacepower Conference on December 11. During that talk, Isaacman said he believes it’s a necessity for the United States to put humans on the Moon and Mars, noting the development of tech for those voyages could “shift the entire balance of power here on Earth.”
In his X post, Isaacman elaborated, saying crewed missions to Mars will contribute to advances in “systems, countermeasures, and pharmaceuticals to sustain human life in extreme conditions,” and will ultimately result in economic, technological, and societal benefits “for all humankind.”
“This achievement will enable humanity to survive beyond Earth, serving as a hedge against catastrophic events that have shaped our planet’s past and will inevitably happen again,” he wrote. “It is a critical step in overcoming the Great Filter,” a reference to the notion that all intelligent civilizations in the universe get wiped out by catastrophes before they’re able to sufficiently master space travel.
During the conference appearance, Isaacman didn’t mention any specific policies or programs he would choose to explore as NASA’s new leader, but he did point to a need to beef up the research on the effects of space travel on the human body. It’s a field he said could take on increased importance if Space Force Guardians (yes, that’s what military and civilian Space Force personnel are called) are to travel to the Moon or Mars in large numbers in the future.
He also made a point to praise SpaceX, the private company that has become an integral part of the United States’ space strategy, and is on the receiving end of around $22 billion in government contracts. Musk, as head of DOGE, has faced criticism over potential conflicts of interest due to the significant government contracts awarded to his companies. The White House has said Musk will self-police on any conflicts of interest.
Isaacman has his own connections to SpaceX, having flown on two private space voyages that launched atop the company’s rockets, including the Polaris Dawn mission in September.
The billionaire nominee also singled out several other contractors for praise at the conference, including Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Rocket Lab. The rise of the commercial space industry will allow the U.S. to “really figure things out and take risks,” he said.
While Musk has said a crewed flyby of Mars could launch as soon as 2028, Isaacman wouldn’t commit to that timeline. In a reply to a comment, he wrote that he is “on the outside, learning and eager for the opportunity to contribute to this grand endeavor,” adding that the decision on such a mission “is up to the Senate.”
No date has yet been set for Isaacman’s confirmation hearing, but given how even Trump’s most controversial (and, in some cases, totally unqualified) picks have sailed through, there’s little to suggest he will face any major opposition.
