Jared Isaacman’s Opening Statement

Keith’s note: According to Opening Remarks by Jared Isaacman in advance of his confirmation hearing:

“On that note, NASA is the most accomplished and respected space agency in the world—but for all of NASA’s historic achievements, the agency is not without challenges:

• Presidents have called for a return to the Moon and a path to Mars since 1989 and well over a hundred billion has been spent without the intended results.
• Most programs—new telescopes, rovers, X-planes, or entire spaceships—are over budget and behind schedule.
• This is discouraging because people look up at the stars and wonder what is out there today, not decades down the road.”

Full statement below

Thank you Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and distinguished members of the committee. I am honored and very grateful to be here before you today as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I have lived the American dream and I owe this nation a great debt. I would happily serve President Trump in any capacity but to work alongside the people that have expanded the boundaries of exploration and brought humanity closer to the stars, would be the privilege of a lifetime

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge my family—my parents, Sandy & Don Isaacman, my wife Monica and my two wonderful daughters, Mila and Liv.

I do recognize, I am a newcomer so I thought I would share a bit of my story, along with my understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead.

• I am an entrepreneur and my journey began when I took a risk and left school at age 16 to build a company in my parent’s basement. Despite my unconventional start, I found success very early in life and led my company into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise employing thousands.
• I am a pilot with an aeronautics degree. Over the last 20 years, I’ve flown over seven thousand hours in jets and ex-military aircraft, setting world records and performing in airshows. My passion for aviation also led me to start another company–this time a defense aerospace business. As a company, we operated the world’s largest private air force. Our job was to fly fighter jets as adversaries, executing enemy tactics and training American warfighters. We managed hundreds of millions in defense contracts and saved taxpayers billions along the way.
• I am also an astronaut. Alongside a talented team, I led two record-breaking missions to space. On my last mission, we tested a new space suit while performing a spacewalk and orbited farther away from Earth than any human has gone since the last time Americans walked on the Moon. Along the way, my two crewmates, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, became the women who have journeyed farthest from Earth… ever.
• I am an advocate for science. During these missions to space, my crew & I performed approximately 50 science and research experiments. I have also publicly supported the Chandra x-Ray Observatory and offered to fund a mission to extend the life and capabilities of the Hubble space telescope.
• I care about the people back at home and our collective future here on Earth. My space career did not burden the taxpayers. They were privately funded and aimed at inspiring and helping people all over the world. One example is the over $250 million we raised to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and their critical work to ensure no child dies in the dawn of life. Alongside these efforts, I have personally donated hundreds of millions to charitable endeavors.

I share all of this because I am not a typical nominee for this position. I have been relatively apolitical; I am not a scientist and I never worked at NASA. I do not think these are weaknesses. In fact, I believe President Trump found them to be strengths. And if confirmed, I will bring all my experience to the greatest adventure in human history—the quest to discover the secrets of the universe.

On that note, NASA is the most accomplished and respected space agency in the world—but for all of NASA’s historic achievements, the agency is not without challenges:

• Presidents have called for a return to the Moon and a path to Mars since 1989 and well over a hundred billion has been spent without the intended results.
• Most programs—new telescopes, rovers, X-planes, or entire spaceships—are over budget and behind schedule.
• This is discouraging because people look up at the stars and wonder what is out there today, not decades down the road.

And I know it is not lost on any members of this committee that we have geopolitical rivals moving at impressive speeds. It is imperative—for our national security, our pride, and all that we stand to gain in space exploration—that we never come in second place. If confirmed, and with the support and guidance of President Trump and members of Congress, we will reinvigorate a mission-first culture at NASA with the following objectives:

First—American astronauts will lead the way in the ultimate ‘high ground’ of space.

As the President stated we will prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars. Along the way, we will inevitably have the capabilities to return to the Moon and determine the scientific, economic, and national security benefits of maintaining a presence on the lunar surface. We will focus our technology development efforts on the world’s greatest engineering challenges, such as the practical application of nuclear propulsion, so that we can truly unlock humankind’s ability to explore among the stars.

Second—We will ignite a thriving space economy in low Earth orbit.

By working alongside international partners and industry, we can unlock the true economic potential of space and deliver meaningful benefits to the American people–potentially charting a course for

NASA to become a financially self-sustaining agency.

Third—NASA will be a force multiplier for science.

We will leverage NASA’s scientific talent and capabilities to enable academic institutions and industry to increase the rate of world-changing discoveries. We will launch more telescopes, more probes, more rovers and endeavor to better understand our planet and the universe beyond.

If confirmed, I will work alongside & recruit the most talented minds this nation has to offer and we will concentrate our resources toward achieving the near-impossible– the objectives that no other agency, company or institution is capable of accomplishing. We will do so knowing the risks and ground-breaking opportunities that lie ahead—because some risks, like exploring the worlds beyond ours, are worth taking.

We will do this not just to expand our knowledge or strengthen our national security, but to improve all life on Earth and inspire the next generation to reach even further. This is why America needs NASA—why the world needs NASA—because there is no more important investment than inspiring our children to build a beaer, more exciting future. And the best way NASA can do that is by delivering on our mission and ushering in a new Golden Age of Science & Discovery—and we will not fail.

Thank You.

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/AF1E2124-BB39-4160-A28C-1F6CC2F020FD