Trump wants to appoint Jared Isaacman, the first non-professional astronaut in outer space, to head NASA

The US President-elect Donald Trump proposes to appoint billionaire Jared Isaacman as the head of the NASA space agency.

Trump reported this on his Truth Social social network.

Trump calls Isaacman "an experienced businessman, philanthropist, pilot and astronaut". He was the first non-professional astronaut in space — in September, SpaceX launched the first commercial research mission, Polaris Dawn, which included the billionaire.

"Jaredʼs passion for space, experience as an astronaut, and desire to push the boundaries of exploration, unlock the mysteries of the universe, and develop a new space economy make him the perfect candidate to lead NASA into a bold new era," Trump wrote.

Isaacman said that it was a "great honour" for him to become a candidate for the post of NASA head. Although Reuters notes that he does not have political and government experience, unlike the two previous heads of NASA, Jim Bridenstine and Bill Nelson.

Isaacmanʼs nomination, if confirmed by the US Senate, is likely to further deepen NASAʼs dependence on private companies for access to space as a commercial service.

Reuters also calls Isaacman a close associate of Elon Musk. Previous presidents of the United States did not choose the candidate of the future head of NASA so early, so the publication connects this with the influence of billionaire Elon Musk on Trump.

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