Nepal, June 2 -- The White House has withdrawn as its nominee for Nasa administrator, abruptly yanking a close ally of Elon Musk from consideration to lead the space agency, according to a report by The Guardian.

Donald Trump said he would announce a new candidate soon. "After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head Nasa," the US president posted online. "I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be mission aligned, and put America first in space."

Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut who had been Musk's pick to lead Nasa, was due next week for a much-delayed confirmation vote before the US Senate. His removal from consideration caught many in the space industry by...