Here Comes TrumpSpace 2.0

Keith’s note: “How might NASA change under Trump? Here’s what is being discussed” by Eric Berger is worth a read. FWIW I have watched Transition Team “discussions” trickle out for 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and now 2024. Closing centers is a favorite. Poor Ames is always on the list.

Tossing things over the fence to another agency and cancelling a big thing like SLS is too. And moving people/things from HQ to centers or from centers to HQ is as well. Moves take years and cost a lot and usually do not change the top line unless you fire a lot of people. Usually a lot of what leaks out is just one or two person’s impressions from partial discussions.

I’d advise everyone to sit back and wait for the Transition Team to formally say things. Or not. And in either case, we’ll have to wait for the Jared Isaacman confirmation hearing and the Senate confirmation vote. This is always a big Schrödinger’s cat exercise. We’ll know when we open the box. This year may be a little more chaotic but in the end a lot of things stay the same – perhaps with new names. And also, FWIW out of chaos comes opportunity etc. etc.

But Jared Isaacman may just decide to try and do some logical things that work in the real world outside of the NASA space bubble – with the backing of White House and DOGE and whatever else appears with the Trump 2.0 whirlwind at any given point in time.

Ad Astra y’all.