Sean Duffy Might Have Leaked A Billionaire Private Astronaut’s Plan In Desperate Bid To Save His Job At NASA
Unless you have to support yourself financially, it is not recommended to juggle two full-time jobs. But, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy is laying the groundwork for making his second job as interim NASA Administrator permanent. Alleged plans of withdrawing candidate Jared Isaacman billionaire private astronauthas made its way into the hands of lawmakers and lobbyists in the last few weeks. Signs point to Duffy being the source of the leak. Given the poor state of the country’s air traffic control system, he was probably not the most qualified candidate for the position.
The 62-page plan, titled “Athena,” details Isaacman’s plans for NASA if Congress approves his nomination. According to Ars TechnicaThe version of “Athena” was an abbreviated document given only to Duffy and her private secretary by the billionaire as a courtesy in August. Isaacman’s plan angered NASA’s traditional contractors because he would reevaluate the space agency’s spending and ensure that appropriated dollars go further by relying more on the commercial space industry. The leak appeared to be an attempt to derail any attempt to renominate Isaacman, allowing Duffy to continue as at least interim manager. Despite the previous withdrawal, the private astronaut continued to meet with President Trump to discuss space policy. According to CNBC.
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Why isn’t Jared Isaacman currently running NASA?
Jared Isaacman, President Donald Trump’s nominee for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator, testifies at the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing at the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. -Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Isaacman seemed like an ideal candidate for NASA Administrator with Elon Musk sitting in the White House. The 42-year-old became a billionaire after founding payment processor Shift4, then became a qualified military jet pilot and founded Draken International, the world’s largest private air force. Isaacman will partner with SpaceX in 2021 to organize and command Inspiration4, the first orbital spaceflight staffed solely by private astronauts. He later launched his own privately funded space program, the Polaris program, with missions operated by SpaceX. The inaugural mission, Polaris Dawn, went relatively smoothly and performed the first commercial spacewalk. Isaacman wants Lift the Hubble Space Telescope into a higher orbit for the second mission to Polaris, but NASA rejected the proposal due to the risks involved.
Trump’s tone changed as he began gutting the space agency. Isaacman as Oval Office threatens to cancel Artemis program reiterated the agency’s ambition to return astronauts to the Moon Before China achieved this feat for the first time. He also vowed to cancel SpaceX’s Polaris contract to cut ties between himself and one of NASA’s largest contractors. The death knell for Isaacman’s candidacy came after Trump and Musk publicly clashed on social media. However, the administration claimed that Musk’s candidacy was withdrawn not because he was an ally, but because of his past political donations to Democrats. New York Times It was even reported Trump was aware of these donations before selecting Isaacman as his running mate.
Capitol Hill intrigue aside, I can’t imagine you’d fight that hard to remain NASA Administrator when you’re already Secretary of Transportation. Running a space program may be a lot more glamorous than trying to fix air traffic control, but the pay is worse, and it’s not even a Cabinet-level position. Even though there are claims about the moon landing in some strange corners of the internet, everyone knows who is who. Neil Armstrong like that. No one knows who the NASA Administrator was during Apollo 11. Absolutely no one will remember who ran NASA during Artemis II.
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