WASHINGTON — Alabama’s two U.S. senators voted to confirm Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator on Wednesday after Sen. Katie Britt received assurances from the billionaire entrepreneur that he would protect Alabama’s space programs.
President Donald Trump withdrew Isaacman’s original nomination in late May over his “prior associations,” including his close ties with SpaceX founder Elon Musk, but he glided through his second confirmation process by a vote of 67-30.
Britt told Alabama Daily News earlier this month that she met with Isaacman to express her concerns with his prior comments and plans that could have jeopardized the Space Launch System, the heavy-lift launch vehicle that can send astronauts to the moon for Artemis missions. It’s managed in Huntsville at Marshall Space Flight Center.
“I was pleased to hear both in our meeting and in his nomination hearing that he is committed to executing on the dollars provided in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act and to seeing the Artemis Program through at least Artemis V using the SLS rocket,” Britt said in a statement shared with Alabama Daily News.
Trump’s budget request called for phasing out the SLS after three Artemis missions, instead of after the planned five. But the One Big Beautiful Bill Act provided funding for the additional missions.
During his confirmation hearing in early December, Isaacman reaffirmed that he would support the SLS and all five Artemis missions.
“I absolutely believe that the current architecture with SLS is the fastest path to achieving our near-term lunar objectives, which should be to return to the moon before our great rival and establish the infrastructure so that we can realize the scientific, economic and national security value,” Isaacman said.
Britt, who is not a member of the Senate committee that advanced the NASA appointee, still showed up to Isaacman’s confirmation hearing to make sure she heard those public commitments for Alabama.
“I’m pleased with his commitment to ensure that Marshall will not have its core mission fundamentally altered, and I look forward to supporting him and the entire NASA program,” Britt said.
The second Artemis mission is expected to launch next year with four astronauts flying around the moon, followed by the third mission sending astronauts to land on the moon.
“Administrator Isaacman also acknowledged the critical role both (nuclear thermal propulsion) and (nuclear electric propulsion) will play in deep space exploration, something critical to Marshall as the propulsion center of excellence for NASA,” Britt added
Tuberville congratulated Isaacman in a social media post on Wednesday.
“I look forward to working with you to continue expanding America’s research and expeditions in space,” he said.
The space agency had been without a permanent leader for nearly a year, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy serving as an interim administrator since July.
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