Donald Trump’s selection for the head of NASA aligns with his grand vision for Mars exploration.

In his initial presidential speech on January 20, Trump declared that the U.S. “will extend our destined exploration into the cosmos, deploying American astronauts to place the stars and stripes on Mars.”

Jared Isaacman, the wealthy businessman and private astronaut chosen by Trump to lead the space agency, reiterated these aspirations during his nomination hearing on April 9 before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

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Isaacman, 42, outlined his primary objectives in his initial remarks, with manned space missions being at the forefront.

“Firstly, American astronauts will pioneer the ultimate frontier of space. As the president has directed, our focus will be on propelling Americans to Mars,” Isaacman stated.

Mars has always been the ultimate goal for NASA, envisioned after setting up a strategic presence on a closer celestial body: the moon. Through its Artemis program, NASA plans to establish one or more bases near the moon’s water-rich southern pole by the decade’s end.

China has similar lunar ambitions, aiming to send astronauts by 2030. U.S. leaders and military authorities, along with other space community members, emphasize the need to lead this new space race to prevent China from setting precedents in operations and explorations on our closest celestial neighbor.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairing the Committee, cautioned during the hearing against deviating from the Artemis program in favor of a more direct approach to Mars.

“We need to maintain our trajectory,” Cruz stated. “A drastic shift in priorities at this point would likely result in a red moon, conceding control to China for generations. It would be disastrous for space relations to effectively hand over the moon to communist China.”

Isaacman responded with assurance, stating that NASA is capable of pursuing multiple objectives simultaneously.

“NASA is a remarkable organization capable of achieving the extraordinary,” he commented. “We can map a path to Mars that aligns with the president’s directive to reach the moon before China, to explore the space economy, and to accomplish other significant tasks.”

The Artemis plan involves using a massive rocket named the Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule called Orion, and a proposed lunar orbiting station known as Gateway. According to plan, Artemis astronauts will land on the moon using privately developed landers—SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon, both still under development.

These aspects of the program have been criticized due to multiple delays and escalating costs over the years.

Isaacman mentioned during the hearing that he has no plans to cancel Gateway or any other Artemis components at present. His support for the current lunar mission framework was somewhat tepid.

“It appears to be the quickest and most effective way to reach our goals,” Isaacman remarked. “Although this may not be the long-term solution for frequent lunar and Mars travel, it’s our current plan, and we must focus on successfully completing this lunar orbit mission and the subsequent lunar landing.”

Isaacman is the CEO and founder of payment-processing firm Shift4. He is also an experienced private pilot and astronaut, having funded and led the Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn orbital missions in September 2021 and September 2024, respectively.

Given that both missions utilized SpaceX technology, Isaacman has close ties with the company’s billionaire founder and CEO, Elon Musk. Musk, who advises President Trump and heads the “Department of Government Efficiency,” aims to reduce costs and regulations.

Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) questioned these connections during the hearing, inquiring whether Musk was present during Isaacman’s meeting with then-President-elect Trump in Florida in late 2024. Isaacman avoided a direct response, reiterating his interview status with Trump multiple times.

When asked if he had discussed his NASA plans with Musk, Isaacman directly responded, “I have not.”

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is expected to vote on Isaacman’s confirmation no earlier than April 28, as reported by CNN.

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