【By Chen Sijia, Observers Network】 Recently, the competition for the position of NASA Administrator has intensified. Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation Secretary and acting NASA Administrator, is seeking a permanent appointment, while Jared Isaacman, a billionaire who had his nomination revoked by President Trump, is planning to re-enter the race.

As this "battle" intensifies, a document revealed by U.S. media shows that Isaacman is seeking significant reforms for NASA. According to an article from "Politico" on November 3, Isaacman had drafted a proposal called the "Athena Plan" earlier this year, aiming to completely restructure NASA to enhance the United States' competitiveness in space with China.

Before the White House withdrew the nomination for NASA Administrator, Isaacman wrote the "Athena Plan" document, according to two sources, and he did not plan to make it public, but he had already submitted it to Duffy. In the document, Isaacman stated his goal was "to restructure and revitalize NASA, focusing on maintaining America's leadership, unlocking the orbital economy, and accelerating discoveries that change the world."

Jared Isaacman IC photo

According to the document obtained by "Politico," Isaacman advocated for a complete change in how NASA operates, outsourcing some tasks to private companies. He proposed the idea of "Science as a Service," suggesting that NASA should purchase scientific data from commercial companies instead of building its own satellite network.

Isaacman also suggested that NASA should stop funding climate science missions, leaving the direction of related research to academia.

Regarding the U.S. return to the Moon under the "Artemis Program," Isaacman believes that NASA should stop developing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and cancel the plan to build the Gateway space station in lunar orbit.

Isaacman also questioned the contract structures of institutions like NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), calling them "very expensive." He believes that NASA must "improve key performance indicators (KPIs) for output and scientific achievements." He recommended examining the purpose of each institution, using JPL as an example, and wrote with a skeptical tone: "What exactly has been built at JPL?"

The "Athena Plan" proposes to integrate all mission control functions of NASA centers into the Johnson Space Center in Texas, making it cover all commercial space missions. It also suggests concentrating NASA's aviation programs at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in California and implementing "flat and streamlined" reforms at NASA headquarters.

These proposals aim to "integrate projects involving multiple centers into a single institution and location," retaining only a few branches. At the same time, Isaacman targeted projects that have not made substantial progress, suggesting they be canceled.

In addition, Isaacman collaborated with Lewis G. Gillis, the chief propulsion engineer at SpaceX, to propose a "nuclear propulsion strategy." He believes that developing nuclear propulsion spacecraft is crucial for exploring Mars and the entire solar system.

NASA Johnson Space Center NASA website

"Politico" reported that in recent years, some NASA experts believe the agency needs comprehensive reform to function effectively in the new space age and enhance the United States' ability to compete with China in space. However, many proposals to change the way NASA operates may first need approval from the U.S. Congress.

But many analysts see Isaacman's reform plan as treating NASA like a business rather than a government agency. Critics argue that Isaacman misunderstands the nature of scientific funding, which is not a commercial investment; the academic community uses NASA's funds for scientific research.

An industry insider who saw the document told "Politico" that Isaacman's ideas were out of touch with the actual operations of NASA, and these plans appeared "ignorant" and "arrogant." The insider pointed out that many of Isaacman's suggestions would require approval from the U.S. Congress to implement, and could be blocked by Congress at any time.

The insider said that even if Isaacman receives the NASA Administrator nomination again, this "Athena Plan" would only raise questions about the nomination from Congress. If he wants to compete for the NASA Administrator position, he may need to overturn this document and answer the questions from U.S. congressmen.

Regarding the document exposed by U.S. media, Isaacman responded in a statement: "This is entirely consistent with what I discussed during Senate hearings and my answers to questions from the Commerce Committee. I stand by this." Duffy has not yet responded.

Currently, Isaacman and Duffy are competing for the NASA Administrator position. According to "The Hill," Duffy recently made controversial remarks, such as criticizing SpaceX's spacecraft development speed as too slow and proposing to open up lunar contract competitions. Duffy also wanted to transfer NASA to the Department of Transportation, but many people consider this a foolish idea because most of NASA's missions are unrelated to transportation.

Isaacman, on the other hand, has received support from Republican Senator Tim Kaine and others, and is willing to re-contest the NASA Administrator position. "The Hill" reported that there are rumors that Trump favors Duffy, but his view of Isaacman has improved.

The United States is striving to advance the "Artemis" moon landing program, trying to complete a manned moon landing before China. According to NASA's schedule, the program aims to send American astronauts to the moon in 2027. However, due to difficulties in spacecraft development, the Artemis Program has faced repeated setbacks.

"The Hill" believes that if China lands on the moon first, Trump and the entire United States will face an embarrassing situation. Although the U.S. government has considered the "moon race" as a top priority, the ongoing chaos and instability within NASA are hindering the U.S. moon landing program. Regardless of whether the final leader of NASA is Duffy or Isaacman, it may be difficult to reverse the failure of the United States.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7568795644924674611/

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