Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has issued a strong call for the Senate to swiftly confirm Jared Isaacman as the next NASA administrator. Speaking at the Satellite 2025 conference on March 11, Bridenstine, who served as NASA administrator from April 2018 to January 2021, offered his assessment of Isaacman's nomination.
Bridenstine expressed immense confidence in Isaacman's abilities. “I think Jared Isaacman is going to be an amazing NASA administrator,” he stated. “I think he’s got all the tools to be what could be the most consequential NASA administrator given the era in which we live in now.” He emphasized the increasing reliance on commercial space capabilities, believing Isaacman is uniquely positioned to leverage this shift. “He’s going to be able to take that and do things that have never been able to be done before.”
Donald Trump's nomination of Isaacman, the founder of Shift4 and a veteran of two Crew Dragon missions, became official on January 20th. However, the Senate has yet to schedule a confirmation hearing. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, mentioned in February that his committee hadn't received the necessary paperwork. Bridenstine stressed the importance of prompt action. “Confirm him quickly,” he urged. “The sooner he gets confirmed, the better NASA is going to be. So, let’s not leave it linger. The worst thing for the agency is to leave it linger.”
Bridenstine highlighted the central challenge facing NASA: defining its role in the age of commercial space. He suggested a focus on developing supportive infrastructure, including the lunar Gateway, a key component of the Artemis program. “The Gateway is an enabler of more commercial activities, not less,” he argued, anticipating its crucial role in facilitating future lunar missions. “It’s going to open up a lot of opportunities to get to more parts of the moon than ever before and do it regularly with humans.”
Bridenstine noted Isaacman's proactive approach to this challenge. “Jared is already thinking about that,” he said. “If he solves that as an issue, that’s going to be very important for the future of NASA.”