In what is a shocking development, the White House will pull Jared Isaacman’s NASA Administrator nomination for unknown reasons ahead of its full Senate vote next week. This opens the door for another individual to step into the role that has been left vacant for over 100 days in one of the most troubling times in the agency’s existence.
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The Planetary Society has begun a petition to help stop the White House’s 47% budget cut to NASA’s science programs. The advocacy group has a goal of gathering as many as 5,000 signatories before sending it to Congress.
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On May 20, President Donald Trump formally announced the “Golden Dome,” a sweeping national missile defense initiative designed to shield the United States from the most advanced modern threats, including ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles. The system, drawing structural inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome, would differ vastly in scale and scope, incorporating next-generation technologies across land, sea, and space to provide a comprehensive, multilayered defensive shield.
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Politico reports that the National Space Council may return under the second Trump Administration after it was believed dead, thanks to lobbyists from SpaceX. However, its scale and goals are unknown given the White House’s new focused mission on space exploration.
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Friday, President Trump released his “skinny” budget request for the U.S. Government’s Fiscal Year 2026; included for NASA is $18.8 billion in proposed funding. This is down 25% from what the agency received in FY2025. Here’s what programs are safe and in trouble.
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Since Elon Musk‘s endorsement of President Trump last year, the CEO of SpaceX has spent more time in politics than worrying about his companies, including Tesla. With Tesla’s Q1 earnings out this week, Elon announced he would be stepping back from his time at the White House to focus on the company.
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A new space telescope that is 87% paid for, on schedule, and on budget, could be completely canned if President Trump’s proposed budget makes it law for NASA. That wouldn’t be the only thing of NASA’s that would be going away either.
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SpaceX is a leading bidder for the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense platform, according to Reuters. The project will join SpaceX alongside software company Palantir and drone manufacturer Anduril in a project that could oust traditional defense primes from one of the DoD’s biggest new defense projects.
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The multi-administration long battle over the location of the US Space Command’s permanent headquarters may finally come to an end this month. Following the release of the Inspector General’s report on President Biden’s decision not to move the HQ to Huntsville, Alabama, Congressman Mike Rogers states President Trump’s decision could come soon.
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Last week, Jared Isaacman sat in front of his first Congressional hearing in what is expected to be his new career as NASA Administrator. On Wednesday, Isaacman sat in front of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for his confirmation hearing, answering any questions the Senators wished before they voted on giving him the job or not. Here are five things we could expect from potential Administrator Isaacman if he is confirmed.
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After a rather space-packed first term, many expected the same to happen during President Trump‘s second term. However, we are approaching two-thirds of the way through Trump’s 100 days, and we still don’t have a firm understanding of his space goals.
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Building upon recent developments in the United States’ missile defense strategy, two Republican senators have introduced legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s proposed “Iron Dome for America.” This initiative aims to establish a next-generation missile defense shield, leveraging space-based technologies to counter evolving threats from adversaries such as China and Russia.
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President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to develop an advanced missile defense system, referred to as the “Iron Dome for America,” has sparked significant debate. While the initiative aims to protect the United States from a range of missile threats, including ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, it has elicited both support and criticism.
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One of the crazy ideas that have been floated by President Trump in his second term has been to annex Greenland as the nation’s 51st state. The nation hosts a key Space Force Base that deals with early warning missiles coming from Russia or China.
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You might have thought our discussion of Starliner‘s crew was over, at least until the crew returned home on SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon. However, it seems like President Trump and Elon Musk are looking to make Boeing’s issue a political matter by calling for their return “as soon as possible.” Even though they are safe and have had no issues staying up on the station for an extended mission.
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A recent Space Capital report states that the massive defense primes of Boeing and Airbus could divest themselves of space entirely. Given the new administration’s wish to potentially sack SLS, could companies like Boeing be out of space entirely?
Check out this week’s podcast.
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According to Reuters, SpaceX lobbyists might have successfully convinced the newly sworn-in President Trump to shutter the National Space Council. SpaceX seems to believe the council was a “waste of time,” and the White House might think it’s too much bureaucracy.
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In 2017 President Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1, setting NASA on a mission to return its astronauts to the surface of the Moon using the already in development Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft. It has come a long way, survived one transition of power, but is likely to be taken to battle in Congress.
President Trump, now the 47th President of the United States, mentioned space only once during his address, and it had nothing to do with Artemis and everything to do with a destination a tad bit further away: Mars.
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President-elect Trump shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he plans to nominate private astronaut and businessman Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator. While Isaacman has had massive success in the private market and building his own space program, does he have the “Right Stuff” to lead the world’s premier space agency?
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Over the last four years, one of the many contested decisions made by President Trump was the moving of Space Command‘s headquarters from Colorado to Alabama. While many viewed it as a political move, some viewed it as a right for the state to have.
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SpaceX is making its quickest turnaround yet for the Starship rocket, hopefully launching some five weeks after Flight 5. This mission will have more big milestones for the company while other companies still work towards competing with its older Falcon 9 rocket.
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Former President Trump came away Tuesday night with a decisive Electoral College victory to return to the White House next year. With this being his second term, how could these next four years look for NASA, the Space Force, and commercial companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin?
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Six internal emails were leaked this week that share statements from United Launch Alliance Vice President Robbie Sabathier to a lobbyist about NASA’s “incompetent” leaders and favoritism towards SpaceX.
The emails leaked from the ULA employee also contain wild speculation that contracts awarded to SpaceX by NASA were tied to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s inferred support for former President Trump.
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President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are in the midst of an unconventional campaign cycle for the 2020 presidential election.
Mr. Trump, who attended the SpaceX Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon launch on Saturday, is vying for a second term in office. Mr. Biden, who has largely relied on virtual rallies during the COVID-19 pandemic, is the presumptive nominee for the party out of power.
Both presidential candidates have addressed the first SpaceX mission to send NASA astronauts to space this week.