US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead NASA, billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, will tell senators that the agency will prioritize missions to Mars. This comes as a delay and over-budget programs are discouraging for space exploration, according to Isaacman’s written testimony.
Isaacman, 42, is expected to face tense questioning from lawmakers on Wednesday about his views on NASA’s moon program. His remarks have allayed concerns that the agency’s multibillion-dollar effort could be upended by Trump’s focus on Mars as a top destination for US astronauts.
NASA is planning to send its crew of astronauts who are assigned to the Artemis 2 mission, which will be the program’s first crewed test flight to journey around the moon and back before a subsequent moon landing mission. The agency has committed billions of dollars to its moon program, involving US allies and dozens of private companies.
However, Isaacman’s prioritization of Mars missions raises questions about the future of the moon program. Trump has fixated on Mars in public remarks, while billionaire Elon Musk openly considers the moon a distraction from his ultimate goal to send crews to the Red Planet.
Isaacman stated that delayed and over-budget programs are “discouraging” because they do not align with the public’s interest in space exploration today. The nomination hearing is expected to be tense, with lawmakers scrutinizing Isaacman’s views on NASA’s priorities.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/science/trump-nasa-nominee-says-agency-will-prioritize-mars-mission-2025-04-08