Astronauts to join Trump’s NASA nominee Jared Isaacman at confirmation hearing
On April 9, 2025, billionaire space enthusiast Jared Isaacman, President Donald Trump’s nominee for NASA Administrator, is set to face a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The hearing will feature a list of civilian astronauts who will be joining Isaacman, some of whom have previously traveled to outer space with the 42-year-old entrepreneur.
One of the astronauts attending in support of Isaacman is Lt. Col. Kidd Poteeta, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and former Thunderbird pilot who acted as mission pilot on the recent September Polaris Dawn spacewalk. Poteeta has worked closely with Isaacman on previous spaceflight endeavors. Additionally, Sarah Gillis, a lead space operations engineer at SpaceX, and Anna Menon, a biomedical engineer and lead space operations engineer at SpaceX, who both worked with Isaacman on the Polaris Dawn mission, will also be in attendance.
Isaacman will be joined by former colleagues from the historic 2021 Inspiration4 mission, the first civilian-led spaceflight to orbit Earth. The crew includes Dr. Sian Proctor, a geoscientist and analog astronaut; Chris Sembroski, an aerospace data engineer and U.S. Air Force veteran; and Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a pediatric cancer survivor who became the youngest American to orbit Earth at 29.
Sembroski was gifted a seat in a raffle by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during a fundraising campaign for the Inspiration4 mission, which raised $250 million for the cancer center in addition to Isaacman’s personal $125 million donation.
Senator Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, is set to introduce Isaacman to the committee, praising his experience and skill set in ensuring that the U.S. continues to lead in space exploration. Other senators, including Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have expressed support for Isaacman’s commitment to American astronauts returning to the lunar surface and eventually venturing to Mars.
Isaacman’s opening remarks for the hearing emphasize the importance of multi-planet travel and the prioritization of sending American astronauts to Mars. He also highlights the value that NASA brings to the U.S. in inspiring future generations and improving life on Earth.
While there have been concerns about Elon Musk’s potential influence on NASA, a senior official at NASA Headquarters has clarified that the agency’s acting administrator, Janet Patro, is leading the agency under the Trump administration with no influence from Musk or SpaceX.
Isaacman, who amassed his fortune as the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, is seen as an outsider compared to the previous NASA Administrator, former U.S. Senator and Astronaut Bill Nelson. However, NASA Spokesperson Bethany Stevens has defended Isaacman’s background as an entrepreneur, emphasizing the value of his business acumen in leading the agency.
As Isaacman prepares to face questions at his confirmation hearing, his vision for NASA and space exploration will be on full display, showcasing his commitment to advancing American leadership in the final frontier.
