The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Jared Isaacman to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Isaacman, 42, will become the youngest administrator in the agency’s history.

The ally of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk secured the nomination in a 67-30 vote.

Acting NASA chief Sean Duffy congratulated Isaacman in an official statement, expressing confidence that he would lead NASA as it aims to return to the Moon by 2028 and outpace China. Duffy had previously lobbied to move NASA under his own department’s purview, a fight he lost with Isaacman’s confirmation.

Duffy’s efforts sparked tension with Musk during the same period when the transportation secretary criticized SpaceX for falling behind on its contracts with NASA and suggested turning to competitors like Blue Origin.

Isaacman’s nomination was temporarily withdrawn in May amid public disputes between Musk and President Trump. Trump later stated that Isaacman’s contributions to Democratic candidates were the reason for the pullback. Isaacman re-emerged as a candidate recently, tapping allies within the administration to promote his nomination.

Isaacman founded a payment processing startup called Shift4, which now handles billions of transactions annually. He has flown on two SpaceX missions, both funded by himself and featuring all-civilian crews. His most recent mission in 2024 included the first private company spacewalk. Isaacman also pledged in a June letter that he would resign from his private sector positions if confirmed as NASA administrator.

“Nearly 70 years have seen the United States at the forefront of space exploration,” said Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana. “President Trump knows how critical it is to reinvigorate NASA as we aim for new heights in the greatest frontier, and that’s why he chose exactly the right man.”

During Isaacman’s second confirmation hearing in December, Democrat Senator Gary Peters of Michigan pressed him on why President Trump had reconsidered his nomination and what assurances he would provide regarding potential conflicts of interest. Isaacman stated he “wouldn’t even want to begin to speculate” on the reasons for the re-nomination and pledged to be free of conflicts of interest.

While some Republicans welcomed Isaacman’s proposals, many Democrats expressed concerns over the agency’s proposed costs and priorities.