Newly appointed NASA administrator Jared Isaacman told CNBC on Friday that the United States will return to the Moon during President Donald Trump's second term.
Isaacman, a close ally of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, told CNBC's "Closing Bell Overtime" that Trump's recommitment to exploring the Moon is key to unlocking the "orbital economy."
"We want to have this opportunity to explore and realize the scientific, economic and national security potential of the Moon," he said.
Isaacman's comments Friday were among his first public remarks since he was confirmed to his post by the Senate last week, after a lengthy saga through 2025.
Trump initially nominated Isaacman to serve as NASA chief in December 2024, but the president abruptly withdrew his choice in May due to Isaacman's "prior associations." Although Trump did not specify what it was, some suggested it was related to Isaacman's close ties to Musk, with whom Trump had a heated feud with over the summer.
In November, Trump reappointed Isaacman, who was an entrepreneur turned civilian astronaut after commanding an orbital mission aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft in 2021.
Lunar opportunities include the creation of data centers and space infrastructure, as well as the potential exploitation of helium-3, a rare gas embedded in the Moon's surface that could become a major fuel for fusion energy, Isaacman said.
He added that after building a "lunar base", NASA would consider investing in nuclear power and space nuclear propulsion to continue exploration.
NASA is currently working with various contractors, including SpaceX, Jeff Bezo's Blue Origin and Boeing, to assist with its Artemis campaign, a Moon exploration program that also aims to prepare for missions to Mars.
The campaign was launched after Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated $9.9 billion to NASA earlier this year.
The Artemis II mission, NASA's first crewed test flight aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, is expected to take off in the near future, Isaacman said.
The expedition will be followed by the Artemis III mission, for which SpaceX has been tasked with building the lunar landing system.
SpaceX and Blue Origin are perfecting heavy-duty launch vehicles with cryogenic propeller transfer in orbit to make them more easily reusable, he added.
"This is what's going to allow us to get back and forth from the Moon affordably, with high frequency, and prepare us for missions to Mars and beyond," Isaacman said.
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