Senate confirms Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator
by Mike Heuer · UPIDec. 17 (UPI) -- Billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman is NASA's newest administrator after the Senate confirmed his nomination on Wednesday.
The Senate voted 67-30 to confirm Isaacman, who has said he wants the United States to beat China to the moon and maintain the nation's supremacy in space.
The vote came after Isaacman underwent two confirmation hearings after President Donald Trump initially nominated him for the position but removed the nomination amid a feud with SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
Isaacman is an ally of Musk, has flown and walked in space twice and underwent a confirmation hearing with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on April 9.
Isaacman also founded Shift4 in 1999 when he was 16 years old and has funded his own experimental space flights, CNN reported.
The president recently renominated Isaacman, leading to Wednesday's confirmation after he underwent a second hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Isaacman replaces Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has been NASA's acting administrator since July.
He said his goals are to ensure the success of the Artemis program, beat China to the moon and "establish an enduring presence to understand and realize the scientific, economic and national security value on the lunar surface."