Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will now also act as interim administrator. This was announced in a post published by Donald Trump on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country’s Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control systems, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again,” Trump wrote. “He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time.”
Duffy was a reality TV star, known for his participation on MTV’s Road Rules: All Stars and The Real World: Boston before entering politics, first as district attorney in Ashland County, Wisconsin, in 2002, and then as a member of Congress from 2010 to 2019.
On November 18, 2024, Trump announced his selection of Duffy for the position of Transportation Secretary. The Senate confirmed his nomination on January 28, 2025.
“Honored to accept this mission,” Duffy wrote on social media platform X after Trump’s post. “Time to take over space. Let’s launch.”
The announcement of Duffy’s appointment came just over five weeks after Trump unexpectedly withdrew businessman Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator. This happened just a few days before the Senate vote that was supposed to confirm him for the position. Isaacman’s withdrawal from the election was due to the breakdown in relations between Trump and his largest political donor and former ally, Elon Musk. It is also worth noting that, according to US media reports, Musk and Duffy had disputes at a cabinet meeting in March, when the transport minister accused the billionaire of trying to fire air traffic controllers.
Duffy’s appointment occurs at a key moment for NASA, as the White House’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 would cut the agency’s overall budget by approximately 25%. The greatest blow will be dealt to science. NASA’s science research budget will be cut by nearly 50%, leading to the early termination of dozens of NASA missions, including Juno, New Horizons, OSIRIS-APEX, and Chandra.
It is expected that the US Congress may try to save at least some of the missions under threat. However, Duffy will most likely defend the current budget reduction plan, which could lead to the loss of American leadership in space.
According to Nasaspaceflight
