Might Luxurious Space Traveler Jared Isaacman Potentially Revitalize NASA?
For over six decades, NASA has been at the helm of space exploration, utilizing interstellar probes, Martian rovers, and powerful telescopes to decipher cosmic mysteries related to Earth's origins. Lately, the space agency has been grappling with challenges in reestablishing human presence on the Moon and forging a pathway to Mars, due to budget constraints, bureaucracy, and fierce competition from the private sector.
"NASA seems to be on the brink of collapse," expressed Casey Dreier, head of space policy at The Planetary Society, in a conversation with Gizmodo. The recent announcement of Jared Isaacman's nomination to the position of NASA administrator was generally welcomed in the space community, as it was understood that NASA required a fresh perspective to remain competitive with the swiftly evolving landscape of space travel. However, will Isaacman steer NASA towards a more adaptive future, or will the space agency succumb to commercial pressures?
President-elect Donald Trump officially endorsed Isaacman's nomination, contingent upon Senate approval. The tech entrepreneur and experienced space pilot played a role in two private space missions aboard SpaceX's crew capsules. Isaacman commanded Inspiration4, which launched in September 2021, marking the first-ever all-civilian crew to reach orbit. Prior to that, he led a four-person crew on a Dragon spacecraft during the Polaris Dawn mission, which saw two crew members conduct the first-ever commercial spacewalk.
"Isaacman wasn't necessarily anticipated to lead the charge, according to experts," Jack Burns, an astrophysics professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, who was part of the presidential transition team for NASA in 2016, told Gizmodo. Isaacman's professional background, as an entrepreneur from the commercial sector, sets him apart from previous NASA administrators.
NASA's last two appointed administrators were former politicians, while earlier administrators hailed from more traditional roles in the space industry. "Isaacman is poised to pioneer uncharted territory...wherever NASA's future may take us," Burns added.
Following Isaacman's nomination, NASA announced further delays in its mission to return astronauts to the lunar surface. Although unfortunate, the news was not entirely unexpected given the development of the Artemis program. A report from May 2023 indicated that NASA's overall investment in its Moon program, Artemis, is projected to reach $93 billion from 2012 to 2025. The costs associated with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket alone amount to $23.8 billion from 2012 to 2022, significantly exceeding initial estimates for the Moon rocket.
NASA's flagship Moon rocket, SLS, is the subject of much controversy within the space agency, as speculation swirls about the potential abandonment of the launch vehicle from NASA's lunar plans by the Trump administration. "The SLS is long overdue, significantly over budget, and will only fly occasionally," commented Keith Cowing, an astrobiologist and previous NASA employee, and author of the NASA Watch blog. "It is time to take a hard look at this project and make a decision now, if we are to start over."
A recent report, titled "NASA at a Crossroads," highlights the challenges the space agency is currently facing, including aging infrastructure, technological stagnation, budgetary constraints, and a depleting talent pool. The report urged NASA to reevaluate its priorities, a sentiment echoed by experts who agree that while NASA's mission remains crucial, the agency must adapt to a changing environment.
"NASA must decide what it wants to be when it grows up," Cowing said, emphasizing that the agency is no longer the sole entity capable of developing rockets capable of transporting humans to space. Companies like SpaceX and eventually, Blue Origin, are developing alternatives.
Instead of being preoccupied with manned missions to the Moon, NASA can focus on pushing the frontiers of cosmic exploration and executing phenomenal feats in deep space. "A public agency offers a unique set of capabilities and obligations to the public that commercial organizations do not," Dreier said. "Scientific research and exploration is not a profit-generating venture. You acquire knowledge and reshape your perspective of the world."
Isaacman is well-versed in the commercial aspects of space travel, having embarked on two private space voyages. This has raised concerns about commercial influence over NASA in the future of space travel.
"As an entrepreneur and a private space travel customer, Isaacman is openly advocating for commercial space," Dreier said. "It's likely that he shares a keen interest in commercial space undertakings, which will likely shape his future outlook on spaceflight." Dreier, nevertheless, acknowledges that a NASA administrator is still subject to governmental oversight. Should Isaacman be appointed, he will not have the power to appropriate the agency's budget or turnkey contracts to SpaceX.
"The NASA chief shouldn't breeze in, scrap SLS and delegate a business deal without a proper political sequence," Dreier expressed. "There's a procedure to follow, and once set in motion, it's the administrator's task to carry out these broader guidelines."
Isaacman's appointment signals a significant transformation for NASA during Trump's regime, as the organization adapts to the fresh wave of space travel. With Isaacman in command, it's a matter of either guiding NASA into the future of space exploration or witnessing it sink in the tide of commercial ventures.
NASA, under Isaacman's leadership, could leverage technology from the private sector to propel space exploration into the future. The space agency might harness commercial innovations, such as reusable rockets, to reduce costs and increase frequency of missions.
Furthermore, Isaacman's background in science and technology could pave the way for groundbreaking collaborations between NASA and private companies in areas like advanced propulsion systems, astronaut training, and lunar resource utilization. This could effectively bridge the gap between government-led space exploration and commercial ventures, ultimately leading to a more prosperous and sustainable space industry.
