It’s been nine months into President Trump’s second term, and the government’s most popular and beloved agency is still without proper leadership. Some rumbles have made it sound like that could change soon, but we’re still awaiting official word.
Isaacman is back… maybe
According to Bloomberg, Jared Isaacman has had conversations both with President Trump and Acting Administrator Sean Duffy about taking over the agency once more. While discussions have reportedly been tense, they have also been promising that Isaacman is being renominated.
While Duffy seems to be enjoying himself at NASA, being one of the more forgiving positions in US politics, he also heads the Department of Transportation, a much more serious and, at the moment, dire agency in need of leadership. That hasn’t stopped Duffy from suggesting NASA should come under the DoT’s governance, potentially gaining more benefits under a cabinet-level department.
However, for now, Duffy agrees he cannot stay on at NASA forever, but no limit has been set for when a replacement is to be nominated.
How did we get here?
Unlike his first term, President Trump came out running with his NASA nomination, naming Isaacman in December prior to taking office and making that official on January 20, right after being sworn in. Isaacman even flew through Senate committee hearings, and while it would have been a close vote, he was expected to pass a vote by the full Senate.
That all came crashing down with the exit of Elon Musk from the White House and his and Trump’s public feud online. Those against Musk quickly convinced Trump to axe Isaacman’s nomination due to his political donations to past Democratic candidates.
With Isaacman out, Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro remained interim NASA Administrator after taking over from Bill Nelson, who resigned on January 20. That was until July 9, when the President named Duffy as Acting Administrator.
There have been rumors of a handful of other potential nominees; The Wall Street Journal names Joseph Guastella, a retired Air Force official, and Mike Garcia, a former Republican congressman.
Space Explored’s Take
President Trump is the holder of the longest time without a confirmed NASA Administrator. This took place during his first term when it took over a year before Jim Bridenstine was nominated and confirmed to the post.
We are about 170 days away from breaking that record between Petro and Duffy’s time as admins.
We were reportedly supposed to hear an announcement of a NASA Administrator nominee last Monday; that has come and gone with no word. With the current administration, that could mean anything from a change in who Trump wants in the position, a lack of interest in naming a nominee, or contentment with the status quo.
It’s important to note that without a proper NASA Administrator, the agency is unable to operate at its full potential. If, but hopefully when, Congress can agree on a budget, the Administrator will be in charge of executing the directions of both the budget and the President, laying out a plan to return humans to the Moon, set up a Martian exploration program, and hopefully continue the awesome science NASA has become known for.
Also, the Administrator isn’t the only Senate-confirmable position NASA has open. Besides a deputy, NASA is also in need of a new CFO, an important position given how cash-strapped the agency may become in the near future.
So when might we actually get a proper NASA Administrator? Even if a nominee is named tomorrow, the time it will take to get through Senate confirmation will likely take us well into the new year. So don’t expect a new NASA chief for Christmas or Hanukkah, but put it on your New Year’s resolutions.
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