Published: 16:51, June 1, 2025
Trump to announce new nominee to lead NASA, replacing Musk ally
By Xinhua

Jared Isaacman, then nominee of US President Donald Trump to be National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator, testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. (PHOTO / AFP)

WASHINGTON - The White House said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump will soon announce a new nominee for the head of NASA, following his decision to withdraw former candidate Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk.

"After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. "I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space."

Late last year, Trump named Isaacman, a billionaire and private astronaut, as the nominee for NASA chief.

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The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved his nomination in late April. Isaacman, a close associate of Musk and a major client of his company SpaceX, has purchased several private spaceflights from the company with hundreds of millions of dollars.