[Source/Observer Network, Chen Sijia] Local time on April 9, Jared Isaacman, the NASA administrator nominee by US President Trump, attended the Senate confirmation hearing. According to CNN reports, Isaacman claimed at the hearing that NASA's future will focus on Mars exploration and prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars.

NASA has been focusing on lunar missions in recent years, implementing the "Artemis" plan to return to the Moon. Isaacman's statement indicates that the Trump administration may readjust NASA's plans. This move has caused concern among many U.S. politicians. Even some Republican senators have asked Isaacman to maintain a focus on lunar exploration.

Isaacman is the CEO of Shift4, a payment processing company, and has paid for two trips aboard SpaceX's manned spacecraft. Last December, Trump nominated Isaacman as the next NASA administrator.

On the morning of April 9 local time, Isaacman appeared at the confirmation hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. He outlined NASA's future plans during the hearing and answered questions from U.S. senators about whether he would change NASA's priorities.

Although NASA has not established any specific plans for a manned Mars landing, Isaacman stated at the hearing: "NASA's top priority is to send American astronauts to Mars. In this process, we will inevitably acquire the capability to return to the Moon and determine the benefits of establishing a permanent base on the lunar surface for science, the economy, and national security."

Isaacman attends the U.S. Senate confirmation hearing Video screenshot

CNN reported that this seems to indicate that NASA may adjust the "Artemis" plan announced by Trump in his first term. According to the latest schedule revised last year, NASA aims to complete the manned lunar flyby mission by April 2026 and execute the manned lunar landing mission around mid-2027.

Isaacman's statement has raised concerns among some U.S. politicians, with Republican lawmakers also raising doubts. Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, questioned this at the hearing, stating that the United States cannot abandon the plan to return to the Moon. He believes that if the U.S. adjusts its space program priorities now, it is equivalent to "abandoning the Moon" and will lose to China in the so-called "lunar race."

In response, Isaacman claimed that the U.S. "does not have to choose between the Moon and Mars," and "we can follow a path consistent with the president's expectations, which is to be the first to land on the Moon and explore the space economy and complete other tasks."

It is expected that the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will vote on Isaacman's appointment after the recess on April 28. CNN reported that if the nomination is confirmed, Isaacman will become the fourth NASA administrator who has actually entered space.

Mars missions have been a goal emphasized by Trump's close ally, SpaceX CEO Musk. Last week, he posted on social platform X, saying: "Staying only on the Moon will slow down the pace of going to Mars." Due to commercial cooperation between Isaacman's Shift4 and SpaceX, his nomination also faces potential conflicts of interest.

Isaacman previously promised that if his nomination as NASA administrator is confirmed, he will resign as CEO of Shift4 but retain most of the company's shares.

Currently, NASA is busy dealing with the government's layoff plan under Trump. Some NASA employees told CNN that they may face a 50% layoff and budget cuts. The Trump administration has not yet released NASA's budget request or disclosed details of the restructuring plan jointly developed by NASA leadership and the "Office of Government Efficiency," so it is unclear how much impact NASA will face.

NASA successfully completed the unmanned lunar flyby test in 2022, but the development of manned spacecraft and other equipment has not gone smoothly, causing multiple delays in the U.S. manned lunar landing schedule. In December last year, NASA announced that in order to have more time to address defects in the next-generation "Orion" capsule, the manned lunar flyby mission "Artemis II" was postponed to April 2026, and the manned lunar landing mission "Artemis III" was delayed to mid-2027.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7491518167362109962/

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