Trump picks Jared Isaacman to head NASA (updated)

Shift4 Payments

04/12/2024 16:11

(Adds detail on Isaacman in paragraphs 2, 4)
       WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect
Donald Trump on Wednesday tapped Jared Isaacman to lead the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
    Isaacman, CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments
 FOUR.N , has been a close associate of Elon Musk and his space
company SpaceX for years and leads Polaris, a program using
SpaceX vehicles to conduct private astronaut missions in orbit.
    "Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and
inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in
Space science, technology, and exploration," Trump said in a
post on his Truth Social platform.
        Isaacman, if confirmed, would oversee a $25 billion
agency heavily focused on returning humans to the moon under its
Artemis program, a multibillion dollar effort promoted by Trump
during his first term that will rely on SpaceX's Starship.     

 (Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Doina Chiacu; editing by
Caitlin Webber)
 ((doina.chiacu@thomsonreuters.com; 202-898-8322;))