Not Another Stalled Administrator Momentum seems to be building for Jared Isaacman to become NASA administrator "We believe that Jared Isaacman is uniquely qualified to lead NASA." Eric Berger Mar 25, 2025 2:42 pm | 38 Jared Isaacman during training at SpaceX before the Polaris Dawn mission. Credit: SpaceX Jared Isaacman during training at SpaceX before the Polaris Dawn mission. Credit: SpaceX Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWith the vast majority of President Donald Trump's cabinet members now approved by the US Senate, focus is turning to senior positions within the administration that are just below the cabinet level.The administrator of NASA is among the most high-profile of these positions. Nearly four months ago Trump nominated private astronaut Jared Isaacman to become chief of the space agency, but he has yet to receive a hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.Almost immediately after his nomination, much of the space community fell in behind Isaacman, who has flown to space twice on private Crew Dragon missions, raised charitable funds, and is generally well-liked. Since then, Isaacman has worked to build support for his candidacy through conversations with people in the space community and officeholders.However, publicly, not much has happened. This has raised questions within the space community about whether the nomination has stalled. Although some people have expressed concern about financial ties between Isaacman and SpaceX, according to multiple sources, the primary obstacle has been Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who chairs the Senate committee.Cruz is not happy that Isaacman has donated to Democrats in the past, and he is concerned that the private astronaut is more interested in Mars exploration than the Moon. Cruz also did not appreciate Elon Musk's call to end the life of the International Space Station early. The station is operated by NASA's field center, Johnson Space Center, in Houston, where Cruz lives.Nomination on trackNevertheless, despite the slower pace, people familiar with the nomination process say Isaacman's candidacy remains on track. And recently, there have been some public announcements that support this notion.In early March, the governors of several southern US states, including Florida and Texas, sent a letter to Cruz expressing "strong support" for the swift confirmation of Isaacman. A notable absence from this letter was the governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, where NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is located. However, she also recently sent Cruz a letter praising Isaacman, calling him an "exceptional selection" to lead NASA. It is notable that the governors of all the US states with major human spaceflight activities have now lined up behind Isaacman.Additionally, as part of the nomination process, Isaacman has written a letter to explain how he will disentangle his conflicts of interest, including resigning from the company he founded, Shift4 Payments, and stating that agreements between himself and SpaceX for the Polaris missions will be terminated.A group of more than two dozen former astronauts from across the political spectrum also recently shared a letter sent to Cruz in support of Isaacman. "We believe that Jared Isaacman is uniquely qualified to lead NASA at the critical juncture," wrote the astronauts. And just this week, the Commercial Spaceflight Federation issued a similar call for confirmation.This all appears to be part of an at least loosely coordinated campaign to push Cruz to schedule a hearing with Isaacman. A request for comment from Cruz, through the Senate committee he chairs, was not responded to.NASA in need of a leaderSo what will happen now?Undoubtedly, Isaacman's ties to Musk will come up during the confirmation process, and potential conflicts of interest will be the source of some contention with Democratic senators. SpaceX stands to benefit from the Trump administration in myriad ways, including from NASA. At the same time, there is a general recognition that, when it comes to civil space, SpaceX has provided essential services to NASA at a significantly lower price than any other provider.Therefore, although there may be some grumbling about Isaacman's conflicts, they are unlikely to be a killer. Cruz, too, has signaled privately that he is willing to move forward with the nomination. But it likely won't be soon. Due to recesses in April for Easter and Passover, there are limited opportunities for a confirmation hearing. Therefore, it seems most probable that Isaacman will not appear before Cruz's committee until May.Is that a bad thing? If you ask people at NASA and within the industry, the answer is, generally, yes. Like other federal workers, the employees at NASA feel shell-shocked by the Trump administration's treatment of their jobsthe calls to resign, the requests for massive reductions in force, and concerns about budget cuts. There is a general sense that having a confirmed leader in Isaacman, who is viewed as dynamic and passionate about spaceflight, would provide clarity and confidence to get NASA moving ahead.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 38 Comments