Unlike previous NASA administrators, Trump’s pick for the role isn’t a politician, scientist or engineer, but a billionaire entrepreneur.

Jared Isaacman, after his spacewalk during the Polaris Dawn mission, gave the commencement address to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduates.

NASA is facing an identity crisis, with budget woes, outdated policies, and aging infrastructure threatening the space agency.

Mr. Isaacman’s company Shift4 Payments made him a billionaire, and he has financed two trips to orbit on SpaceX vehicles, including a daring spacewalk in September.

"This is definitely not the sort of standard NASA type of person that's spent years in the government": Florida Institute of Technology's Don Platt.

President-elect Trump on Wednesday announced he picked Jared Isaacman to lead NASA in his incoming administration. “Jared will drive NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the

Jared Isaacman, an entrepreneur who’s already flown to space twice, spoke about his next job at a conference, promising “great experimentation.”

Billionaire and nominee to become the next head of NASA Jared Isaacman is certainly a fan of SpaceX having relied on Elon Musk’s company for his two trips to space. But he shared the love across SpaceX competitors during a commencement speech for the fall graduation class at Daytona Beach’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Thursday.