Trump Names Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as Interim NASA Chief
The selection of Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to temporarily lead NASA adds to the deep political uncertainties already facing the space agency
Sean Duffy, U.S. secretary of transportation, during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on June 12, 2025.
Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
NASA is under new management after an announcement from President Trump late Wednesday evening named current Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy as the agency’s interim administrator.
The announcement, posted on the President’s Truth Social platform on July 9, credits Duffy for doing a “TREMENDOUS job” in his role as transportation secretary, which it seems he will maintain as he also oversees the space agency. The appointment came on the eve of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s scheduled markup of the White House’s bill that allocates funds to NASA, which proposes a nearly 25% cut to the agency’s overall budget, and decimates funding for current and future science missions by almost 50%.
“Honored to accept this mission,” Duffy posted on X in response to Trump’s announcement, adding, “Time to take over space. Let’s launch.” Duffy is replacing Janet Petro, the former Director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center who has served as acting administrator since Trump’s inauguration in January.
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The move comes a little more than a month after the President withdrew his nomination of Jared Isaacman for NASA Administrator, which was largely viewed as retaliation over Trump’s ongoing public feud with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
Isaacman faced little opposition through his various nomination hearings, and was generally viewed as a promising choice to lead the space agency, though questions about his relationship with Musk fueled criticisms of his nomination.
Isaacman, the billionaire tech entrepreneur who founded Shift4 Payments, has funded two privately-crewed missions to Earth orbit with SpaceX, creating the appearance of a possible conflict of interest as he prepared to begin his role as NASA Administrator.
He never got that chance, though. And after Trump withdrew his nomination, there has been speculation that the process to find his replacement would leave the space agency without permanent leadership until 2026. Since his dismissal, however, Isaacman has remained remarkably positive in his public statements about his situation, and even praised Duffy’s appointment as a “great move,” in a post on X, adding in a follow-up post that an acting administrator “who can text the President” is a positive step forward for NASA.
In her role throughout the ongoing political shuffle, Acting Administrator Petro has been quick to enact changes at NASA in line with the President’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce and in anticipation of the FY2026 budget cuts. Though, while dutifully aligning NASA with the President’s priorities, she voiced readiness for a new administrator to be confirmed. “I think I am the one most looking forward to that I know across the agency,” she said during the Space Foundation’s 40th annual Space Symposium in April.
Now, it seems some of the weight on Petro’s shoulders is being alleviated as Duffy steps into the role.
“He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time,” Trump said in his Truth Social post.
Duffy is viewed as a Trump loyalist. A former Fox Business show host, he served as a Republican in congress, representing Wisconsin between 2011-2019, and was sworn in as Secretary of Transportation on Jan. 28. He also garnered public attention earlier in life, appearing on MTV’s “The Real World” in 1997, and later in the show “Road Rules: All Stars.”
Over the past six months, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), one of ten federal administrations within the Department of Transportation, has faced a litany of safety challenges, including a deadly mid-air collision over Washington, D.C. in January, staffing shortages and outdated air traffic control infrastructure. In his role as Secretary of Transportation, Duffy has made modernization of the FAA one of his top priorities. Now, he finds himself at the helm of another agency facing significant budget and staffing reductions.
As a Trump insider with no real background in space, it’s possible we may see more decisive action taken within NASA, especially as it pertains to the government’s Deferred Resignation Program for federal employees and the space agency’s Reduction in Force efforts. Duffy’s nomination comes amid reports that more than 2,000 senior leadership staff are expected to leave the agency in the face of those initiatives, according to Politico.
The administration’s budget proposal for NASA shifts the agency’s focus largely toward human exploration of the moon and Mars, while slashing funding for planetary science missions. The current Fiscal Year 2025 concludes at the end of September, after which more NASA employees may find themselves out of a job. Over 40 space missions, ranging from planned and upcoming to actively performing scientific research in space, are on the chopping block, and for those working on those missions, nothing is guaranteed right now beyond Sept. 30.
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