Research & Developments is a blog for brief updates that provide context for the flurry of news regarding law and policy changes that impact science and scientists today.
In a move that worried politicians and space scientists alike, President Trump announced on 31 May that he will withdraw his nomination of Jared Isaacman for the position of NASA administrator, according to Semafor. Isaacman’s nomination received bipartisan support and he was expected to easily pass a Senate confirmation vote in a few days.
Trump cited a “thorough review of prior associations” as the reason for withdrawing the nomination. It was not immediately clear whether he was referring to Isaacman’s past donations to Democrats or his ongoing associations with former DOGE head and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who spent the weekend distancing himself from the president. Both of these associations were public at the time of Isaacman’s nomination.
Isaacman, a billionaire, private astronaut, and CEO of credit processing company Shift4 Payments, was questioned by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in a nomination hearing in April. Despite a few contentious moments regarding Isaacman’s association with Musk and some waffling over NASA’s Moon-to-Mars plan, the committee ultimately approved Isaacman’s nomination with strong bipartisan support.
When Trump announced Isaacman’s nomination in December 2024, very early for a NASA administrator, space scientists greeted the news with cautious optimism. Isaacman had vocally expressed support for the imperiled Chandra X-ray Observatory, and is a known space enthusiast.
Now, with the withdrawal of his nomination just days after a president’s budget request that would devastate Earth and space science, scientists fear for the future of NASA.
—Kimberly M. S. Cartier (@astrokimcartier.bsky.social), Staff Writer
These updates are made possible through information from the scientific community. Do you have a story about how changes in law or policy are affecting scientists or research? Send us a tip at [email protected].
