Jared Isaacman tells Senate Commerce panel he will prioritize moon and Mars, urges 'mission‑first' culture at NASA

Jared Isaacman, President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, told the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee he would pursue what he called a "mission‑first" culture at NASA, stressing parallel emphasis on returning Americans to the moon and advancing a crewed mission to Mars.

In his opening statement, Isaacman described his background as an entrepreneur, pilot and private astronaut, and said his private missions were funded without taxpayer support. He told senators he would "reinvigorate a mission‑first culture at NASA" and pursue three core objectives: (1) prioritize American astronauts on deep‑space missions, (2) ignite a thriving space economy in low‑Earth orbit, and (3) make NASA a "force multiplier for science."

Why it matters: Committee members framed the hearing as a test of whether Isaacman would protect existing NASA programs—Artemis, the International Space Station (ISS), and NASA’s science missions—while accelerating new priorities such as nuclear propulsion research and commercial partnerships. Several senators warned that budget cuts or…