Cnn
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The White House said on Saturday that she would announce a replacement candidate to serve as president Donald TrumpPock-s to direct NASA, indicating that it will remove the appointment of the technological billionaire Jared Isaacman.
“NASA administrator will help drive humanity in space and execute President Trump’s daring mission to plant the American flag on the planet Mars,” said the assistant press secretary of the White House, Liz Huston. “It is essential that the next NASA chief is entirely aligned with the first program of President Trump America First and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.”
This decision comes only a few days before the Senate voted on the appointment of Isaacman to lead the agency.
Isaacman, who has twice traveled in space on private missions and has close links with SpaceX Elon Musk chief, sent shock waves in the space community when Trump hit him for the NASA administrator in December, CNN previously reported.
The appointment of Isaacman also encountered broad support in the space community, which considered him a passionate leader, and his experience of space flight was considered a bonus. Isaacman, CEO of the SHIFT4 payment platform company, was considered with deep skepticism by the concerned Democratic legislators that he would use his position to NASA to advance Musk’s personal interests.
The reasons for Trump’s sudden reversal were not clear.
Recordings on OpensecretsA non -partisan organization that follows money in politics, shows that Isaamman has donated the Democrats as recently as the 2024 electoral cycle, although he donated the Republicans in previous years. But on social networks, he has greatly refrained from expressing a position on the political questions of the hot button.
During Isaacman confirmation Before the Senate Commercial, Science and Transport Committee in April, he said that he was “relatively apolitical”.
This posture conforms to the way the former administrators of NASA sought to position themselves. Although the role was fulfilled by civil servants, engineers, scientists and, more recently, politicians – everyone stressed the importance of working in the aisle.
Indeed, NASA objectives often involve projects that cost billions of dollars and require years of research and development to materialize – often carrying out several presidential administrations.
During the confirmation hearing of Isaacman, he noted that he would support an effort to land humans on Mars. The remarks were notable because NASA was downright concentrated on The Artemis programwhich aims to make astronauts on the moon, since Trump’s first term.
It was only since Musk has become a close ally of Trump in 2024, the president expressed interest in the human exploration of March, which was the long -standing objective of Musk.
Isaacman said at the confirmation hearing that he hoped to support both the underlying objectives of the Artemis program and “prioritize the sending of American astronauts to March”.
“Along the way (in Mars), we will inevitably have the capacity to return to the Moon and determine the scientific, economic and national advantages of maintaining a presence on the lunar surface,” said Isaacman.
CNN contacted Isaacman to comment. NASA has returned requests to the White House.
Musk, who led the Trump’s “first friend” ministry, left the administration this week. The technological billionaire, who had recently disagreed with Trump, said he was going “Stay a friend and an advisor” to the president.
Musk has promised to refocus on SpaceX and Starship, the gargantuan rocket system which, according to him, will be able to transport human convoys to Mars. Still in the early stages of development, starship prototypes lost control and exploded for three test flights this year, including a Tuesday.
Semaor was the first to point out that the White House was likely to draw the appointment of Isaacman.
This story has been updated with additional information.