Isaacman, Billionaire Who Invested Hundreds of Billions in SpaceX
Also Sets Record as First Civilian to Perform Spacewalk
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated billionaire Jared Isaacman as the next head of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). With Isaacman, who participated in spacewalks as the first civilian and has ties with SpaceX, being appointed, it is expected that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, will have even greater influence in the aerospace sector.
On the 4th (local time), Trump issued a statement saying, "I am very pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an outstanding business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as NASA administrator," adding, "Jared will lead NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, laying the foundation for groundbreaking achievements in space science, technology, and exploration."
Isaacman is a billionaire who dropped out of high school and founded payment company Shift4 Payments and tactical training fighter supplier Draken International. Since late 2020, Isaacman has been an investor in SpaceX and connected with CEO Musk. In 2021, he led SpaceX's first all-civilian spaceflight mission, 'Inspiration 4,' funding the project. Then, in September, he participated in SpaceX's 'Polaris Dawn' project, setting the record as the first civilian to perform a spacewalk.
On the same day, Isaacman posted on X (formerly Twitter), "I was born after the moon landing, and my children were born after NASA's last space shuttle launch," emphasizing, "I promise you, we will never again lose the ability to travel to the stars, and we will not settle for second place." He further expressed his ambition, saying, "Americans will walk on the moon and Mars, and by doing so, we will make life on Earth better."
Major foreign media reported the news of Isaacman's appointment as NASA head, evaluating it as "Trump placing Musk's ally in NASA." Bloomberg News noted, "Shift4, Isaacman's company, invested $27.5 million (about 38.9 billion KRW) in SpaceX," and pointed out, "This nomination is likely to raise concerns that Isaacman will benefit Musk's SpaceX in NASA policies and contracts."
NASA is a large government agency overseeing the U.S. aerospace sector with an annual budget of about $25 billion (approximately 35.3 trillion KRW). Since Isaacman, who shares CEO Musk's dream of pioneering the moon and Mars and has built wealth and experience in financial payment companies, has taken the helm of NASA, Musk's influence is expected to grow stronger. Musk welcomed the news of Isaacman's nomination, saying, "Congratulations."
Although Musk has not publicly criticized NASA, a major client of SpaceX, he has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with various government regulations and outdated practices applied in the aerospace sector. Consequently, some are concerned that Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), may cut regulations that hinder SpaceX in the aerospace field. Previously, Brendan Carr, who was selected as the next chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is also a close associate of Musk and has advocated for subsidies for Starlink, SpaceX's satellite communication service.
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