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politics5h ago
How Trump’s on-again, off-again Nasa appointee emerged from a political black hole
- Trump renominated billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, signaling a shift in space policy and personnel.
- The move comes amid a White House power struggle between acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy and Isaacman-supporters over NASA’s direction.
- Analysts say the nomination reflects a push to outsource more NASA work to commercial operators like SpaceX.
- Isaacman’s connections to SpaceX and past mission purchases are under congressional scrutiny.
- Trump previously axed Isaacman over Democratic donations, a decision later reversed as politics shifted.
- The Artemis and HLS timelines could shift as SpaceX is favored to lead future lunar missions.
- Duffy’s re-advertising of a SpaceX bid to build the lunar lander drew bipartisan controversy.
- The nomination ties to broader budget fights that could affect NASA science funding.
- Isaacman argues for NASA’s mission breadth, including science, the Moon, and Mars.
- Public debate centers on whether private firms should shoulder more space exploration tasks.
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