NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, left, and Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, right, are seen at sunset following a formation flight in Isaacman's personal F-5 aircraft, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the NASA Administrator, left, embraces Trey Carlson, chief of staff at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, right, following an employee incentive flying event with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's personal F-5 aircraft, Friday, March 6, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, center; Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, left; and Jerry Kerby, pilot, right, pose for a photograph following their air show performance at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman participates in a formation flight with his F-5 aircraft during an air show performance at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. Isaacman was joined by pilots Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and Jerry Kerby. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman participates in a formation flight with his F-5 aircraft during an air show performance at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. Isaacman was joined by pilots Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and Jerry Kerby. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman participates in a formation flight with his F-5 aircraft during an air show performance at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. Isaacman was joined by pilots Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and Jerry Kerby. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman participates in a formation flight with his F-5 aircraft during an air show performance at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. Isaacman was joined by pilots Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and Jerry Kerby. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the NASA Administrator, left; Matthew Mickens, project scientist, space crop production, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, second from left; Trey Carlson, chief of staff at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, third from left; Spencer Barr, Exploration Ground Systems mission assurance manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, fourth from left; Clara Wright, chief of the laboratories, development, and testing division within the engineering directorate at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, fifth from left; and Jerry Kerby, pilot, right, pose for a photograph following an employee incentive flying event with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's personal F-5 aircraft, Friday, March 6, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, fifth from left, poses for a photograph with NASA employees and F-5 pilots following an employee incentive flying event using Isaacman's personal F-5 aircraft, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left to right: Sean Gustafson, pilot and senior advisor to the administrator; Kristian Miasek, ET-10 test engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center; Megan Vansant, chief architect and demolition program manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center; James Hamilton, propellant and pressurant manager at NASA’s Stennis Space Center; NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman; Briou Bourgeois, E-3 test director at NASA’s Stennis Space Center; Brittany Bouché, acting deputy chief of facility engineering services at NASA’s Stennis Space Center; and Jerry Kerby, pilot. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
Sean “Stroker” Gustafson, pilot, sits in the cockpit of an Northrop F-5 Tiger II aircraft at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. As the newly 15th administrator of the agency, Jared Isaacman created a ride-along program to recognize and reward members of the workforce for their dedication to accomplishing agency priorities with opportunities to fly in Isaacman’s Northrop F-5 Tiger II aircraft.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman conducts a formation flight with two of his personal F-5 aircraft, piloted by Isaacman and Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and two U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16s, piloted by Thunderbird 7 Lt. Col. Tyler Keener and Thunderbird 8 Maj. Samuel Larson, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The formation flew near the Vehicle Assembly Building and the surrounding area at Kennedy. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman participates in a formation flight with his F-5 aircraft during an air show performance at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo, Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. Isaacman was joined by pilots Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and Jerry Kerby. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman conducts a formation flight with two of his personal F-5 aircraft, piloted by Isaacman and Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and two U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16s, piloted by Thunderbird 7 Lt. Col. Tyler Keener and Thunderbird 8 Maj. Samuel Larson, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The formation flew near the Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B and the surrounding area at Kennedy. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman conducts a formation flight with two of his personal F-5 aircraft, piloted by Isaacman and Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and two U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16s, piloted by Thunderbird 7 Lt. Col. Tyler Keener and Thunderbird 8 Maj. Samuel Larson, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The formation flew near the Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B and the surrounding area at Kennedy. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
From left, Sean “Stroker” Gustafson, pilot, and Ashley Scharfenberg, Systems Engineering and Integration for Exploration Ground Systems, prepares for her employee incentive flight around NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. As the newly appointed 15th administrator of the agency, Jared Isaacman created a ride-along program to recognize and reward members of the workforce for their dedication to accomplishing agency priorities. Scharfenberg, and Daniel Forrestel, manager, Ground and Missions Operations Office, (not pictured), were the first two employees to be recognized in the ride-along program to fly in Isaacman’s personal Northrop F-5 Tiger II aircraft.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman conducts a formation flight with two of his personal F-5 aircraft, piloted by Isaacman and Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and two U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16s, piloted by Thunderbird 7 Lt. Col. Tyler Keener and Thunderbird 8 Maj. Samuel Larson, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The formation flew near Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the surrounding area at Kennedy ahead of Crew-12’s mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman conducts a formation flight with two of his personal F-5 aircraft, piloted by Isaacman and Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and two U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16s, piloted by Thunderbird 7 Lt. Col. Tyler Keener and Thunderbird 8 Maj. Samuel Larson, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The formation flew near the Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B and the surrounding area at Kennedy. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman conducts a formation flight with two of his personal F-5 aircraft, piloted by Isaacman and Sean Gustafson, senior advisor to the administrator, and two U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16s, piloted by Thunderbird 7 Lt. Col. Tyler Keener and Thunderbird 8 Maj. Samuel Larson, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The formation flew near the Artemis II SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B and the surrounding area at Kennedy. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
One of NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman’s personal F-5 aircraft is seen through the jet wash of another F-5 aircraft during an employee incentive flying event, Friday, March 6, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA employees participate in an employee incentive flying event using NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's personal F-5 aircraft, Friday, March 6, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA employees participate in an employee incentive flying event using NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's personal F-5 aircraft, Friday, March 6, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman participates in an employee incentive flying event using his personal F-5 aircraft, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/John Kraus)