nasa administrator

President Trump announced Tuesday evening that he is renominating private astronaut Jared Isaacman to lead NASA.

“Jared’s passion for space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new space economy make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new era,” Trump wrote on his social media network, Truth Social.

In his statement, Trump did not offer an explanation for why he found Isaacman acceptable now after pulling his original nomination in late May.

That decision was made for political reasons, ostensibly because Isaacman had made some donations to Democrats in the past. In reality, the leader of the White House Office of Personnel Management at the time, Sergio Gor, took advantage of Elon Musk’s departure from Washington, DC, to derail Isaacman, who has twice flown on SpaceX’s rockets into orbit.

Walking away graciously

Isaacman exited the field at the time, thanking Trump for the honor of the nomination. In July, Trump named his secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, to lead the space agency on an interim basis. Trump expected Duffy to interview candidates and pick a full-time candidate.

In the ensuing months, however, Duffy settled into the NASA job, which comes with many opportunities for press appearances. He frequently gave interviews to Fox News and other television outlets about the space program, enjoying the positive publicity.

At the same time, Trump whisperers, such as former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, continued to press Isaacman’s case. They liked his mix of business background and spaceflight experience, as well as his desire to push NASA into the modern era of commercial space.

Over the last several weeks, it has become clear that Trump was reconsidering his decision, especially after Gor was confirmed as ambassador to India and left Washington, DC. Isaacman has had dinner with Trump multiple times, and the two have struck up a relationship.

In recent weeks, copies of an intriguing policy document have started to spread among space lobbyists on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The document bears the title “Athena,” and it purports to summarize the actions that private astronaut Jared Isaacman would have taken, were his nomination to become NASA administrator confirmed.

The 62-page plan is notable both for the ideas to remake NASA that it espouses as well as the manner in which it has been leaked to the space community.

After receiving a copy of this plan from an industry official, I spoke with multiple sources over the weekend to understand what is happening. Based upon this reporting there are clearly multiple layers to the story, which I want to unpack.

In the big picture, this leak appears to be part of a campaign by interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy to either hold onto the high-profile job or, at the very least, prejudice the re-nomination of Isaacman to lead the space agency. Additionally, it is also being spread by legacy aerospace contractors who seek to protect their interests from the Trump administration’s goal of controlling spending and leaning into commercial space.

The Athena plan’s origin

The leaked document is 62 pages long and, according to sources, represents a pared-down version of a more comprehensive “Athena” plan devised by Isaacman and his advisors early in 2025, after President Trump nominated him to become NASA administrator.

The Athena plan lays out a blueprint for Isaacman’s tenure at NASA, seeking to return the space agency to “achieving the near impossible,” focusing on leading the world in human space exploration, igniting the space economy, and becoming a force multiplier for science.

Isaacman’s nomination was pulled in late May, largely for political reasons. Trump then appointed his Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to oversee NASA on an interim basis in early July. As a courtesy, in August, Isaacman’s team edited a shorter version of the plan down to 62 pages and gave a copy to Duffy and his chief of staff, Pete Meachum.