Jared “Rook” Isaacman is the 15th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Isaacman grew up in New Jersey as the youngest of the four children of Donald and Sandra Marie Isaacman. Fascinated by aviation and space, Isaacman discovered a passion that would define his career.

Sensing an opportunity in the burgeoning world of digital markets, Isaacman left high school at the age of 16 to found United Bank Card, a payment processing company, from his parents’ basement. The company was later renamed Shift4. Shift4 now serves hundreds of thousands of businesses across the globe. In 2020, Shift4 went public, and in 2025, Isaacman left his role as CEO.

Isaacman’s entrepreneurial spirit extended to aerospace. In 2011, Isaacman co-founded Draken International, which provides training to U.S. military pilots. The company currently services and manages one of the world’s largest private fleets of fighter jets. Outsourcing this critical role to the private sector has saved taxpayers billions of dollars. Isaacman sold the company in 2019.

Outside of work, Isaacman is a skilled pilot with over 8,000 flight hours. He is flight-qualified in multiple military jets, has flown in over 100 airshows, an  Honorary Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and has set numerous world speed records in 2009 while raising funds for the Make-A-Wish®.

In 2021, Isaacman commanded Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight aboard the Dragon spacecraft. The mission was a major milestone in commercial spaceflight. The three-day flight orbited Earth, raising over $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Three years later, he led another human spaceflight mission, Polaris Dawn. Reaching an altitude of almost 900 miles, this was the farthest humans have traveled from Earth since Apollo 17. Isaacman performed the first commercial spacewalk, and both missions incorporated dozens of science experiments and achieved milestones that advanced the cause of crewed spaceflight.

On Nov. 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump nominated Isaacman to be the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and he was formally confirmed by the United States Senate on Dec. 17, 2025.

Isaacman graduated from Embry‑Riddle in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics, and in 2024, he received an honorary doctoral degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Isaacman resides in Pennsylvania with his wife, Monica, and their two daughters. 

Current Air/Space Records and Certifications

2009 | Circumnavigated the globe in a light jet (Cessna Citation CJ2) in 61 hours, 51 minutes, 15 seconds

2021 | Inspiration4 mission: First all-civilian orbital spaceflight

2024 | Polaris Dawn mission: First commercial spacewalk; highest crewed orbit in 50+ years (870 miles); farthest humans have traveled from Earth since Apollo 17

Military Aircraft Certifications

Aero L-39 Albatros

Aero L-159 ALCA

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

Canadair T-33 Shooting Star

Aeromachi MB-339

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29UB

Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet

Northrop F-5 Tiger and T-38 Talon

Civilian Jet Type Ratings

CE-500, 510, 525, 650, RA390