Generations of aviation enthusiasts will look back on the legendary risk management of NASA and wonder how it was entrusted to a MiG-29 aerobatics pilot.
Issacman is another in a long line of blatantly political appointments that were installed to prevent actual national progress. He doesn't hide his conflict of interests, regardless of how seriously he might take the position.
During them, Issacman refuses to answer multiple questions that are intended to clarify his private relationship with NASA contractors.
The famous one that the Senate grilled him over, during his confirmation hearing: https://rollcall.com/2025/12/03/nasa-nominee-denies-conflict...
Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., questioned Isaacman about whether Musk was present during Isaacman’s discussions with Trump about his nomination. Isaacman said there were “dozens of people moving in and out.”
“You’re refusing to tell us whether or not Elon Musk was in the room that day,” Markey said. “That makes me think that Elon Musk actually was in the room that day, that you understand that’s a clear conflict of interest.”
Because the issue is still funding-related. You wouldn't be restoring a half-century old SR-71 if you had the money to make a cleansheet design. NASA is being sandbagged by their own contractors.