Nasa has been left without a confirmed administrator after the White House unexpectedly withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination to lead the agency.
Mr Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur, pilot and commercial astronaut, was nominated by US President Donald Trump in December.
The withdrawal comes as Nasa deals with a shrinking budget and pressure to deliver on its Artemis Moon programme and other deep-space goals. Mr Trump has not yet put forward a new nominee.
The US leader said he was withdrawing the nomination following a review of Mr Isaacman’s “prior associations", without elaborating further.
“Nasa has been operating with an acting administrator to date, Janet Petro, who was the director of Kennedy Space Centre,” David Barnhart, chief executive of California space infrastructure company Arkisys, told The National.
“She has been shepherding the agency through multiple changes, including budget reductions and programme shifts. But the absence of a Senate-confirmed leader may delay major programme changes.”
Shift towards Mars?
The choice of Mr Isaacman was widely seen as bold and unconventional, aligning with the administration’s focus on commercial partnerships in space.
The decision to withdraw the nomination was made two days after billionaire Elon Musk, a close friend of Mr Isaacman, finished his tenure in Washington as a “special government employee”.
Last month, the Trump administration put forward an $18.8 billion budget for Nasa for 2026, down 24 per cent from last year, with much of that to be allocated for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
The lower budget cuts or reshapes major programmes, including ending the Gateway project, a lunar-orbiting station that Nasa and many countries were building parts for, and the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Nasa had developed the SLS rocket for its Artemis Moon programme but each launch would have reportedly cost $4 billion and the entire programme is behind schedule. Mr Musk, founder of SpaceX, has said Starship projects would be at a fraction of that cost.
Mr Barnhart said the withdrawal of Mr Isaacman as the next Nasa chief could cause more delays in programme changes.
“It is uncertain whether a focus on lunar activities will shift to Mars, for example, or whether the Space Launch System will be cut back in favour of only using commercial launch providers,” he said.
'Politicised' leadership
Sahith Madara, founder of Paris-based advisory firm Bumi & Space, said Mr Isaacman could have helped bridge the public-private divide, especially as Nasa relies more heavily on commercial providers such as SpaceX and Blue Origin to deliver key parts of its missions.
“This says a lot about how politicised the Nasa leadership has become,” he said.
“Jared brought real technical and commercial chops and could’ve helped bridge public and private space efforts, especially with programmes like Artemis and deep space exploration on the table.”
Mr Isaacman issued a statement on X after news of the withdrawal, saying he had gained “a much deeper appreciation for the complexities of government” over the course of the nomination process.
“The President, Nasa and the American people deserve the very best – an administrator ready to reorganise, rebuild and rally the best and brightest minds to deliver the world-changing headlines Nasa was built to create,” he said.
“I have not flown my last mission, whatever form that may ultimately take, but I remain incredibly optimistic that humanity’s greatest spacefaring days lie ahead.”
Blow to the commercial sector
Mr Isaacman, who has flown aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule and carried out a spacewalk as part of the Polaris Programme, had no previous government experience.
His commercial accomplishments, however, and experience in space made him a favourite with those advocating for a more industry-driven Nasa.
“Mr Isaacman’s experience lent credence to commercial industry excitement,” Mr Barnhart said.
“It was felt he would help transition more Nasa functions to the commercial sector. In general, it was seen as a favourable transition from past administrators and a recognition that Nasa’s focus on doing more with industry as partners would allow them to focus on science and innovation.”
Retired Nasa astronaut Dr Leroy Chiao, who spent 229 days in space across multiple missions, told The National that the withdrawal of Mr Isaacman's nomination left questions unanswered.
“I was in favour and am disappointed that he was withdrawn,” Dr Chiao said. “I don’t know the reason, but the official ones given are vague and don’t really make sense to me.
“In the meantime, Nasa will be OK, as there is an acting administrator who has been running the agency since February.”
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
The five pillars of Islam
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
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Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
The five pillars of Islam
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
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