NASA is in a complicated situation. Squeezed by budget cuts allocated by the federal government, the American space agency must undergo numerous layoffs and focus on the race to the Moon. Its future administrator, appointed by Donald Trump, had already sought to win the heart of Congress by reassuring them about NASA's priorities, namely to aim for the Moon before aiming for Mars. A way to win the vote of those who will make the final decision on the appointment of the future head of the space agency.
If the change in priority between the Moon and Mars could contrast with Donald Trump's speech during his election, this is not the case with what Jared Isaacman discreetly declared in response to questions submitted in writing by the Senate Commerce Committee. The latter has just published the candidate's responses and among them, Jared Isaacman described as "not optimal" the withdrawal of scientific programs following the reduction in budgets. A direct criticism to Donald Trump and Elon Musk's DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency).
Congressional approval essential to lead NASA
Yet, neither the SpaceX boss nor the American president should hold it against him. As we have indicated, Jared Isaacman still needs to obtain the approval of senators to be appointed head of NASA. And Congress certainly did not appreciate the layoffs within the agency, particularly of its chief scientist, climatologist Katherine Calvin. If the scientific programs are so affected, it is because their budget allocated In 2026, the majority of disciplines should be cut in half (for astrophysics, heliophysics, Earth sciences, and planetary sciences).
In response to a question from Washington Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell, who asked him whether he supported such a reduction, Jared Isaacman said: "I haven't reviewed or participated in any official discussions, but a reduction of about 50% of NASA's science budget doesn't seem like an optimal solution." To clarify his opinion, he went so far as to say that "If my nomination is confirmed, I will advocate for significant investment in space science – across astrophysics, planetary science, Earth science, lunar science, and heliophysics – and to secure as much funding as the government can reasonably allocate."
Regarding Artemis, NASA's lunar program, Jared Isaacman nevertheless stated that he believes in innovation and modernization of technologies so that the space agency can conduct several large-scale missions simultaneously (i.e., the Moon and Mars). "Historically, NASA managed several complex programs simultaneously – Mercury, Gemini and Apollo – at a time when technological capabilities were much less than they are today. […] More than six decades later, thanks to advances in industry and innovation, I believe the world's premier space agency should be capable of carrying out several major initiatives simultaneously,' he wrote.
Source: SpaceNews
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