Administrator (15th, confirmed Dec 2025), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Episode 1003: America 250 – The Future of NASA and Space Travel with Jared Isaacman
Newt talks with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman about America's renewed push into space. Isaacman, a former commercial astronaut who led the Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn missions, discusses how the Artemis program is advancing toward returning astronauts to the moon, with Artemis III testing lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin ahead of a 2028 lunar landing on Artemis IV. They explore NASA's strategy of partnering with private industry to drive down costs through reusable rockets while NASA focuses on harder problems like nuclear power and propulsion for deep space travel. Their conver...
About Jared Isaacman
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has been publicly outlining the agency's plans for a sustained lunar presence, including the construction of a moon base. In multiple interviews and briefings in mid-2026, Isaacman stated that the Artemis III mission is "still very much on track," with a wet dress rehearsal planned for the end of 2026 and a launch in 2027, followed by a crewed lunar landing on Artemis IV in 2028. He described the moon base as a phased effort, with an estimated $20 billion investment over seven years, and said the agency is drawing on a "playbook that worked very well for NASA during the 1960s" by conducting many smaller missions to build capability. Isaacman also discussed a planned 2028 launch of "SR1 Freedom," which he described as the first interplanetary nuclear-powered spaceship, calling it a "70% solution" that would extend humanity's reach into deep space. Isaacman has repeatedly characterized the current period as a renewed space race, stating that China is "capable of doing what the Soviets were not" and will land its taikonauts on the moon. He attributed the agency's accelerated timeline to a national space policy signed by President Trump and a $10 billion-plus investment from the Working Family Tax Cut Act. Following a Blue Origin rocket explosion on the launchpad, Isaacman said NASA was providing subject matter experts and helping with the anomaly investigation, adding that "no one got hurt" and that the company would "learn, fix their engine, rebuild their pad, and get back to launching rockets." He also described SpaceX's Starship as "almost a light switch moment for humanity" and said the company is "hands down our greatest commercial space company."
Transcript (35 segments)
N
Newt Gingrich0:04
Welcome to Newsworld. Today's invention is GPS, a gift from the US government. GPS is a network of 31 satellites providing precise location and time. It was developed by the DoD, first satellite in 1978, fully operational in 1994. President Reagan made it freely available after the Korean Airlines Flight 007 disaster. Civilian applications exploded after President Clinton removed degradation. GPS contributes over $1.5 trillion to the US economy. It shows the right relationship between government investment and private sector innovation. Coming up, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman joins me. I am pleased to welcome Jared Isaacman, nominated in 2025 as the 15th NASA administrator. He founded Shift4 at 16, co-founded Draken International, commanded Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn. He's here to talk about NASA's future, America's return to the moon, and beyond. Jared, welcome.
J
Jared Isaacman7:13
Sir, it's an absolute pleasure to be with you today. I can't think of a greater champion for America's space program than yourself. Your words and speeches have helped put America in a position for continued leadership in space and this exciting future we are building.
N
Newt Gingrich7:31
Thank you very much. I remember talking to you right after Artemis 2 took off. It feels like NASA has re-entered deep space exploration. From your perspective, how does Artemis 2 reshape NASA's long-term vision?
J
Jared Isaacman8:02
It's a great question. We have the ingredients necessary to return astronauts to the moon under the Artemis program, thanks to President Trump's national space policy calling for American leadership, a moon base, and Mars. With a $10 billion plus increase from Congress, we have the tools. Artemis 2 was an amazing opening act with four astronauts flying around the moon. We announced Artemis 3, which will be like Apollo 9, testing two different landers in Earth orbit. Then Artemis 4 in 2028 will return American astronauts to the lunar surface.
N
Newt Gingrich9:32
You're combining urgency with a disciplined approach to risk. We saw Blue Origin's rocket blow up on the test stand. You said it's a reminder of how hard space is. You've personally experienced that. Talk about the complexity of engineering where everything has to work simultaneously or it fails. How do you deal with that requirement for 100% validity every time?
J
Jared Isaacman10:22
It comes from testing. No crew was on that vehicle. We cleared the blast danger area. For those who ask, go back to YouTube and search NASA explosions from the 1950s and 60s. That's how we learned. Today, Blue Origin's rocket is designed for reusability. That's imperative because we can't throw away rockets every time. There will be setbacks. We learn from them and roll improvements into the next hardware. NASA is helping Blue Origin learn from this and get back to sending rockets to the moon.
N
Newt Gingrich11:42
You've already announced the Artemis 3 crew, which could launch as soon as 2027, including Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, Randy Resnik, and Luca Parmitano. From your standpoint, what makes this particular crew and mission so important?
J
Jared Isaacman12:06
The Artemis 2 crew passed the torch to Artemis 3, saying it's the link to Artemis 4 that will walk on the moon. It's a multi-launch campaign with three of the most powerful rockets converging in Earth orbit. We've never done that before, but it's important for the next 50 years of space leadership. Instead of putting everything on one rocket like the Saturn V, we'll have thriving spaceports launching lots of rockets and assembling hardware in orbit. The Artemis 3 crew has test pilot backgrounds, and Andre Douglas spent three and a half years getting good at Orion. We'll test the landers in Earth orbit to set up for success in 2028.
N
Newt Gingrich13:45
How important is the development of reusable rockets to our whole approach to space?
J
Jared Isaacman13:54
It's everything. Space is hard and expensive. We must bring down the cost. Think about cell phones in the 1980s versus today. Rapid reusability brings down the cost to orbit, enabling more missions for an on-orbit economy, more telescopes, more rovers, commercial space stations, and outposts on the moon and Mars. Reusability is everything to bring down the cost for the future we all want to see.
N
Newt Gingrich15:11
You're having SpaceX and Blue Origin do the lunar landers rather than doing them in-house. Why did NASA choose that model? What's the advantage?
J
Jared Isaacman15:40
In the 1960s, NASA didn't do it alone. Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Grumman built the lunar lander. Today, companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin bring a different flare. We've had success with commercial cargo and crew. Leveraging their capabilities for the moon is great. Competition between SpaceX and Blue Origin is good; they invest their own capital. This allows NASA to focus on the near impossible, like nuclear power and propulsion for Mars. That's something industry doesn't have a business case for. Let NASA focus on hard problems and hand off other needs to industry.
N
Newt Gingrich17:32
You're not talking about visiting the moon; you're talking about going to the moon to stay. Expand on that notion of a moon base rather than a brief visit.
J
Jared Isaacman17:52
Credit goes to President Trump. He asked, 'Didn't we do that during Apollo?' I said we did, but we haven't been back in half a century. Let's undertake the most daring real estate endeavor in human history and build an enduring presence on the moon. We're going to start with landers and rovers, learn what works in the harsh environment of the lunar south pole. We're doing it for scientific potential, economic potential, and inspiration. But number one, we need to master skills with water ice for Mars missions. The only place to have that proving ground is a moon base on the south pole.
N
Newt Gingrich19:16
You've already had an amazing personal life as an astronaut. Could you imagine sometime in the next 10 or 12 years visiting the moon base?
J
Jared Isaacman19:39
I hope it's a possibility for many people. One key performance indicator is how many people are living and working in space. I hope we see it measured in hundreds and thousands. Another KPI is how many kids dress up as astronauts for Halloween. I feel grateful to serve as NASA administrator. Everyone who travels into space wants to be part of something bigger. I can't imagine a better place to contribute than at NASA alongside the best and brightest.
N
Newt Gingrich20:34
When we come back, we'll explore what it takes to build a lasting presence beyond the moon and how global competition shapes that race. What do you see as the race with China on the moon and Mars?
J
Jared Isaacman21:03
We have a very capable competitor moving quickly in space. Competitions are a good thing; it worked out well in the 1960s. I'm grateful for the competition because it drives reforms and concentration of resources. NASA is responding well with support from the administration and Congress. The consequences are real. The lunar south pole is a small area, and not all land is suitable. We are back in a race. We can't stop at the moon; we need to invest in nuclear power and propulsion, like the SR1 Freedom spacecraft launching in 2028, to set our sights on Mars.
N
Newt Gingrich22:45
You really get the importance of nuclear power on the moon and a nuclear engine to go throughout the solar system. Talk about the impact of nuclear power on the moon surface and why a nuclear engine is central to reaching beyond the moon.
J
Jared Isaacman23:28
It's imperative for NASA to recalibrate to the near impossible. We should not do what industry can do. Nuclear power and propulsion is that near impossible. On the moon, we're targeting the south pole, which is permanently shaded. We need continuous power from fission reactions. A nuclear power plant on the moon will power the base. Solar power works well in Earth orbit and near Mars, but beyond Jupiter, you need fission. For exploring the outer solar system or journeying to another star, we must invest in next-generation propulsion today.
N
Newt Gingrich25:19
What can 15-17 year olds look forward to in their lifetime as the potential of developing space?
J
Jared Isaacman25:34
They are growing up in the most exciting time for human space exploration since Apollo. We're returning to the moon with frequency, building a moon base, and never giving it up. That opens up professions beyond astronauts and engineers. We're talking about long-term habitability on another planet. Kids today will see astronauts on Mars and a Martian outpost. With AI, additive manufacturing, and next-generation propulsion, there is no greater time to contribute to the greatest adventure ever.
N
Newt Gingrich26:40
The scale of satellite systems like Starlink and Project Kuiper is amazing. At what point does managing traffic flow become a major challenge?
J
Jared Isaacman27:07
These constellations are connecting disconnected people and providing observation capabilities. Space is very big. We can use different orbits and optical comms. This is the space economy we've been waiting for. Regarding debris, I have doubts about cleanup. The number one risk for my missions was micrometeoroids and orbital debris. It's impractical to track millimeter-sized objects. The solution is not to add to the problem. We need design standards for satellites to deorbit gracefully, deconfliction capabilities, and avoid kinetic conflict in space. A shooting war in space could degrade access to low Earth orbit. We must avoid that, similar to targeting a nuclear reactor. The US and our industry are responsible; some adversaries are not.
N
Newt Gingrich30:30
Coming up, how we work with private companies to develop commercial space. How would you describe the evolution of commercial space over the next 10 or 20 years?
J
Jared Isaacman30:54
We are steering industry and private capital to where we see need and opportunity. For a commercial market to succeed, NASA should be one customer of many. Launch is a success story with multiple customers. Observation and communication are also successful. But not everything has a commercial solution. For example, a nuclear power plant on the moon may not have many customers for decades. If NASA is the only customer, it's just financing. But if we send a demand signal for landers and rovers, industry can scale up and eventually have multiple customers. That's how you ignite the economy properly.
N
Newt Gingrich33:14
Having gone into space, it's dangerous but astonishing. Would you recommend it to people?
J
Jared Isaacman33:25
Of course. I also climb mountains and skydive. I want a future where my daughters can travel into space and visit the moon. It's our destiny. As costs come down with Starship's full reusability, we'll see hundreds or thousands in space. The key is working in space, an orbital and lunar economy. When we figure out how to get more value out of space than we put in, that will change everything. SpaceX has been a great breakthrough. More companies will emerge. Data centers and AI in space are promising. We need to find that killer app, like manufacturing in microgravity or mining helium-3.
N
Newt Gingrich35:44
As we celebrate America's 250th anniversary, Jefferson wrote of an empire of liberty. You have been assigned to carry freedom to the moon and Mars. Do you have a sense of the patriotic historic opportunity you've been given?
J
Jared Isaacman36:24
I'm grateful every day to contribute to the greatest adventure in human history. NASA is at the spearhead of patriotism in peaceful exploration. It's an immense responsibility with national security implications. It's key to a future of scientific, economic, and inspirational potential. I understand the weight of the responsibility. I'm confident in the history we will make.
N
Newt Gingrich37:15
How will you be spending the 4th of July, America's birthday this year?
J
Jared Isaacman37:20
I plan to be flying in an F5 fighter jet painted in Freedom 250 colors along with four other fighter jets representing NASA, flying over the nation's capital.
N
Newt Gingrich37:31
I want to thank you for joining me, for being a patriot, for your courage and determination. You are going to change history. It's a great honor to have you on my podcast.
J
Jared Isaacman37:51
The honor is mine, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for all you've done and will continue to do for America's space program.
N
Newt Gingrich37:58
Thank you to my guest, Jared Isaacman. Newsworld is produced by Gingrich 360 and iHeart Media. Our executive producer is Garny Sloan. Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. Special thanks to the team at Gingrich 360. If you've been enjoying Newsworld, please rate us with five stars and give us a review on Apple Podcasts. Join me on Substack at gingrich360.com. I'm Newt Gingrich. This is Newsworld.