NASA chief wanted

Trump nominates next billionaire for top post

Jared Isaacman has already been to space twice.(Bild: AFP/Patrick T. FALLON )

Another billionaire! US President-elect Donald Trump wants to make Jared Isaacman head of the space agency NASA. The entrepreneur has previously attracted attention as an amateur astronaut.

"Jared's passion for space, his astronaut experience, and his unwavering commitment to advancing exploration, unlocking the secrets of space, and advancing the business of space mean that he is ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new era," Trump announced on Wednesday.

Trump made his comments on the Truth Social platform, which he co-founded. The 41-year-old Isaacman, who made his money with a payment processing company among other things, wrote on the X platform that he was honored by the nomination.

A new day, a new billionaire
Isaacman has caused a stir in recent years with two private space missions: in 2021, he was part of the first space crew consisting solely of amateur astronauts in space and orbited the Earth with three other people for almost three days.

In September, he and three other amateur astronauts took part in the "Polaris Dawn" mission, during which they ascended to an altitude of around 1,400 kilometers and also briefly exited their spacecraft. On both missions, Isaacman worked with SpaceX, the private space company owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who is now also set to become part of the Trump administration.

Trump breaks with custom
In the past, former astronauts or politicians have usually been appointed to the post of NASA chief. In his first term of office, Trump nominated former congressman Jim Bridenstine. Former US Senator Bill Nelson currently heads the agency. He was nominated by the current US President Joe Biden. Isaacman's nomination still has to be confirmed by the Senate.