President-elect Donald Trump has chosen billionaire Jared Isaacman, a technology entrepreneur and ally of Elon Musk, to be NASA’s next administrator.

Isaacman, 41, is the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments and a prominent figure in the private space sector due to his work with Musk’s SpaceX. As a commander he made history Inspiration4the first purely civilian orbital mission, and Polaris Dawnwhich also included the first private spacewalk.

“Jared will advance NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in space science, technology and exploration,” Trump said in a statement.

Isaacman thanked him for the nomination. “Having been fortunate enough to see our amazing planet from space, I am thrilled to see America leading the most incredible adventure in human history,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Isaacman, a fighter jet pilot with the call sign “Rookie,” has described himself as a “space geek” since kindergarten. His nomination comes at a critical time for NASA, which is focused on its Artemis program to return humans to the moon.

“We will never again lose our ability to travel to the stars,” Isaacman said in another X post, emphasizing the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in space exploration.

NASA relies on SpaceX spaceship– a mega rocket currently in testing in Texas – to land astronauts on the lunar surface. The agency already relies on Musk’s company for astronaut transport to the International Space Station and cargo resupply missions.

“Jared’s passion for space and his commitment to pushing the boundaries of exploration make him uniquely suited for this role,” Musk said in a congratulatory message. Musk also served as co-head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative to reduce regulatory hurdles.

Isaacman’s collaboration with Musk dates back to 2021, when he chartered his first SpaceX flight and took the winners of the competition with him Inspiration4 Mission. On his subsequent mission Polaris Dawnhe performed a spacewalk to test SpaceX’s new spacewalk suits.

Isaacman’s selection may reflect the influence of Trump supporter and SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Isaacman praised Musk’s government advisory group on cost-cutting.

If confirmed, Isaacman will succeed Bill Nelson, 82, a former Democratic senator from Florida who was appointed by President Joe Biden. Nelson’s tenure oversaw significant advances in NASA’s human spaceflight initiatives, particularly the Artemis program – named after Apollo’s mythological twin sister – which aims to return humans to the moon.

There are plans to send four astronauts on a moon flyby as early as next year, followed by the first moon landing in over half a century. However, Isaacman is expected to face challenges such as limited budgets and competing priorities.

Under Nelson’s leadership, the agency struggled with delays and rising costs for missions such as the failed Boeing Crew Flight Test mission and the Mars Sample Return program, now estimated to cost $11 billion.