NASA's New Boss Jared Isaacman Reveals Plan To Return US To The Moon Within Trump's Second Term— Could Elon Musk's SpaceX Play A Big Role?

Jared Isaacman, the newly appointed NASA Administrator, said on Friday that the U.S. will make a return to the moon during President Donald Trump’s second term. U.S. Plans Lunar Return Under Trump's Second Term Isaacman, a longtime ally of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, emphasized Trump's renewed focus on lunar exploration in an interview with CNBC. He noted that this commitment is crucial for unlocking the moon's scientific, economic, and national security opportunities. Isaacman's comments marked some of his first public statements since his Senate confirmation last week. Well it is official now.. I want to again express my sincere appreciation to President Donald J. Trump @POTUS for nominating me to lead NASA, and to the United States Senate–and Chairman Cruz @tedcruz – for their diligence and fairness throughout the confirmation process. I am… pic.twitter.com/T4weWTKUfG— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) December 18, 2025 Trump initially nominated the billionaire entrepreneur for the NASA head role in December 2024 but withdrew the nomination in May due to “prior associations.” In November, Isaacman was renominated. See Also: Ripple Has Processed $95B In Payments—Here’s Why That Didn’t Lift XRP Price Isaacman Highlights Moon Infrastructure and Helium-3 Mining In the CNBC interview, Isaacman also talked about the possibility of lunar opportunities, such as the construction of infrastructure and space data centers, as well as the possible mining of Helium-3, a rare gas on the moon’s surface. In order to advance exploration, he also discussed plans for a “moon base” and investments in nuclear power and space nuclear propulsion. Space Industry Poised for Growth Amid Policy Shift The U.S.’s renewed focus on lunar exploration comes in the wake of Trump’s “Ensuring American Space Superiority” executive order, which aims to solidify U.S. dominance in space. Isaacman’s comments also come at a time when the space industry is experiencing a shift, with several stocks showing strong momentum. The recent executive order and Isaacman’s appointment are seen as steps that could lead to strong interest in space stocks in 2026, potentially driving the sector further. Read Next: ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’ Hits $483 Million Worldwide In First Week, But Opening Weekend Trails Behind ‘Way Of Water’ Photo: Shutterstock Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.