Jared Isaacman tells Senate Commerce he will prioritize Mars while backing moon, faces questioning on Artemis, ISS and SpaceX ties

Jared Isaacman, President Trump’s nominee to be administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that he would prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars while also supporting missions to return and sustain an American presence on the moon.

In his opening remarks, Isaacman said he would "reinvigorate a mission‑first culture at NASA" and use the agency’s resources to "do the near impossible," focusing on nuclear propulsion, a thriving low‑Earth‑orbit economy and more telescopes and probes. "If confirmed, I will bring all my experience to the greatest adventure in human history, the quest to discover the secrets of the universe," he said. (Quote from Jared Isaacman.)

Why it matters: NASA administration affects U.S. leadership in space exploration, the Artemis program to return humans to the moon, the scheduled retirement of the International Space Station (ISS) and civil‑commercial partnerships that move people and cargo to low Earth orbit. Senators probed Isaacman’s commitments on Artemis, the ISS timeline, budget priorities and commercial ties to SpaceX.

Key commitments and exchange with lawmakers

- Moon and Mars: Isaacman repeatedly said he supported returning to the…