Billionaire entrepreneur and seasoned space traveler Jared Isaacman returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday with a clear message for lawmakers: NASA needs permanent leadership, and it needs it now.
According to The Associated Press, Isaacman appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee nearly eight months after his first confirmation hearing.
His nomination to lead NASA was pulled earlier this year before being reinstated by President Donald Trump, putting the tech executive back before senators for another round of questioning.
In his opening remarks, Isaacman emphasized the urgency surrounding NASA’s upcoming mission schedule, noting that the agency is preparing to send astronauts back to the moon early next year.
He warned senators that the work ahead will test every aspect of NASA’s capabilities.
Returning astronauts to lunar orbit for the first time in more than five decades will be “a challenging endeavor to say the least,” Isaacman said.
The upcoming mission, slated for early next year, involves four astronauts performing a flyaround of the moon.
A landing would come during a later mission. NASA’s broader objective is to reach the lunar surface again before China, which is actively pursuing its own accelerated plans.
“This is not the time for delay but a time for action because if we fall behind — if we make a mistake — we may never catch up, and the consequences could shift the balance of power here on Earth,” Isaacman told the committee.
Sen. Ted Cruz, who chairs the panel, echoed Isaacman’s concerns and stressed the strategic significance of the coming missions.
“NASA cannot take its eyes off the ball,” Cruz said, pointing to China’s ambitions. “The United States must remain the unquestioned leader in space exploration.”
Isaacman’s path to confirmation has been unusual. He was on track to become NASA’s 15th administrator earlier this year when Trump abruptly withdrew the nomination in May following tensions with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The president renominated him last month.
Cruz acknowledged the unusual circumstances, noting that Isaacman’s second hearing “feels a bit like Groundhog Day,” and said he hoped the Senate would confirm him before the end of the year.
Isaacman, 42, is best known as the founder of the payment processing company Shift4 and for financing and participating in two SpaceX missions, including the world’s first private spacewalk last fall. Several astronauts — including crewmates from his own missions — attended the hearing in a show of support.
For now, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy continues to serve as NASA’s acting administrator, a role he has filled since the summer.
Isaacman’s confirmation would give the space agency the full-time leadership both he and lawmakers say is necessary as the nation prepares for one of the most consequential periods in its modern space program.
