Following the withdrawal of his nomination as NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman has outlined his future ambitions in space exploration. Speaking at the International Space Development Conference, Isaacman, commander of the Polaris Dawn mission, received the National Space Society’s Wernher von Braun Award. He largely avoided discussion of his nomination, instead focusing on his experience with Polaris Dawn.
In a podcast earlier this month, Isaacman elaborated on his views regarding NASA, advocating for a focus on "needle-mover" programs and streamlining bureaucracy. He detailed his priorities for NASA, had his nomination been successful. These included a renewed focus on lunar missions and initiating a path towards Mars exploration. A key element was investment in nuclear electric propulsion (NEP), crucial for future Mars missions. He aimed to transition the Space Launch System (SLS) towards NEP, a technology also being developed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
Isaacman also championed increased collaboration between NASA and academic institutions, envisioning a model where academics played a larger role in mission funding. He stated, “My priorities would have been leadership in space and the orbital economy…getting academic organizations to contribute.” He indicated interest in testing this concept privately, potentially funding a robotic mission with leading academic institutions. He explained, “I wouldn’t mind maybe trying to put that to a test and see if you could fund an interesting robotic mission…and try and get some of the top tier academic institutions who want to perform. So that’s on my mind.”
The White House's decision to withdraw his nomination came after NASA’s release of its fiscal year 2026 budget, proposing significant cuts, including the elimination of funding for nuclear propulsion. Isaacman acknowledged the concerns surrounding these cuts, yet maintained optimism. He observed that despite the cuts, “it’s not going to be less than $20 billion in one year that the U.S. government is going to commit to science and discovery in space,” referencing the significant private sector investments in space exploration by individuals such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
Isaacman, whose Polaris Dawn mission was to be the first of three, stated he is currently prioritizing family time after a long career, "catchup time" with his family, his first significant break since age 16. He remained open to future involvement in spaceflight, concluding, “I don’t think I’ve flown my last mission, but I’m not necessarily sure exactly what form that may take. So, we’ll have to see.”