Senate Committee Probes Jared Isaacman on Project Athena, NASA Science Cuts and Ties to SpaceX

Jared Isaacman, President Trump’s nominee to lead NASA, told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that he would prioritize returning Americans to the moon and maintaining a continuous U.S. presence in low Earth orbit, while defending a draft policy plan and addressing lawmakers’ conflict‑of‑interest concerns.

Isaacman opened by calling for “urgency and extreme focus” on Artemis missions and said the agency must “never accept a gap” in capabilities after the International Space Station retires. He told the committee he supports using a mix of heavy launch vehicles, commercial partners and investments in propulsion and surface power to sustain lunar and deep‑space missions.

The hearing shifted repeatedly to questions about a 62‑page draft labeled in the record as “Project Athena,” which Isaacman said he authored. Senator Kim pressed him on language reportedly calling for reevaluating a sustained lunar presence and suggesting greater reliance on commercial providers for some Earth‑observation data. Isaacman said the draft was a directional plan intended to be refined and that portions were research requests rather than firm policy: “There’s probably 10 pages within that plan that call for research requests to make sure that you gather the accurate information to inform a definitive plan,” he said.

Lawmakers also pressed Isaacman on reported donations and ties to SpaceX. Senator Markey asked whether Elon Musk was present at a meeting in which Isaacman said the job was discussed; Isaacman declined to confirm who attended, saying he would not “bring any of them into this matter” and that many people moved through the setting. When asked about personal financial exposure to aerospace companies, Isaacman said, “I have no direct or indirect equity exposure to any aerospace company, including SpaceX,” and that he had disclosed financial ties to ethics officials and would adhere to their guidance.

Markey and others requested more transparency on Isaacman’s private-spaceflight contracts and on nondisclosure agreements; Isaacman said he would work with ethics officials and had no objection to asking companies to release him from NDAs so the committee could review details.

Several senators expressed concern about the administration’s proposed cuts to NASA’s science account. Ranking Member Cantwell and others cited earlier testimony warning that the SpaceX lunar lander schedule may not meet near‑term timelines and urged Isaacman to oppose proposals they described as damaging to NASA’s science and research missions. Isaacman repeatedly pledged to “follow the law” and to “maximize the scientific value of every dollar that Congress affords the agency.”

Beyond the disputes over the draft plan and outside ties, senators asked Isaacman about operational priorities: preserving Earth science data for agriculture, supporting university research and meeting statutory deadlines such as a 2028 timetable tied to a Mars telecommunications orbiter. Isaacman committed to keeping NASA data available to academic researchers and to working with the committee on acquisition and program timing.

The committee did not vote on the nomination at the hearing. Senators submitted dozens of letters of support for the record and set deadlines for questions for the record and responses. The nominees were given a set period to answer written questions after the hearing.