Latest news with #Inspiration4
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Civilian astronaut, Space Camp alum announces $15 million donation to U.S. Space & Rocket Center
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Billionaire entrepreneur and astronaut Jared Issacman announced Friday he plans to donate $15 million to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) to help develop Space Camp facilities. 'Space Camp is a national treasure,' Issacman said. Hydrofest not returning to Lake Guntersville in 2026 Issacman has taken an active interest in Space Camp, making appearances and donating $10 million in 2022. He attended Aviation Challenge at the USSRC when he was 12, and he credits that experience with jump-starting his future career. 'There are things that you just can't get hands on in the classroom or even at home, playing a computer game,' Issacman said. 'When I came here in Aviation Challenges, I actually got to fly an airplane at 12 years old. I'm at 8000 hours now flying aircraft, and I mean that was all born out of this experience.' The $15 million donation will fund the Space Camp activities happening inside the Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex, including simulated space missions to Mars and the moon, a realistic space station mission including onboard operations, and a mission control center. 'The Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex and the Polaris Dawn mission activities will transform Space Camp,' Robin Soprano, the Vice President of Space Camp, said. 'Through this extraordinary investment, we are building cutting-edge experiences to take our programs and our students into the future.' Albertville man arrested in shooting near Asbury Other features will include an AI-powered mission support specialist, a full-motion interactive Mars and lunar rover, science laboratories, robotics, 3-D printing systems, and holographic displays visualizing planetary environments, spacecraft systems, and mission data. The training complex is named for the crew of the Insiration4, led by Issacman, which achieved the first all-civilian orbital space mission. Issacman is a leading figure in commercial spaceflight. Three years after leading the mission to orbit Earth, Issacman returned to space with the crew of Polaris Dawn, which completed the first commercial space walk. The Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex is set to open for the 2026 summer camp season. After additional fundraising, the USSRC plans to build a fourth dormitory to house Space Camp attendees. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
UPI
11-07-2025
- Science
- UPI
Ex-astronaut, one-time Trump nominee Jared Isaacman gives $15M to rocket center
Jared Isaacman speaks during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on at the U.S. Capitol in April. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo July 11 (UPI) -- Ex-NASA administrator nominee Jared Isaacman has donated $15 million to support the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's under-construction Inspiration4Skills Training Complex in Huntsville, Al. The Space & Rocket Center's Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex is named after the all-civilian space mission that Isaacman, 42, led over three days as part of a SpaceX endeavor in September 2021, according to The Inspiration4 mission was the first space mission that used an all-civilian crew to orbit the Earth, and its namesake training complex is scheduled to open in early 2026. "The Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex and the Polaris Dawn mission activities will transform Space Camp," Space Camp Vice President Robin Soprano told in an emailed statement. "Through this extraordinary investment, we are building cutting-edge experiences to take our programs and our students into the future." Isaacman announced the donation on Friday, which will help fund the construction of the training facility in Huntsville and a new dormitory for Space Camp students. It also will help to pay for Space Camp mission operations and activities for students who are participating in Space Camp Robotics and the U.S. Cyber Camp. Such activities include simulated moon and Mars missions and are named after the Polaris Dawn mission, which was Isaacman's second spaceflight with SpaceX and occurred in September 2024. Isaacman also donated $10 million to the Space & Rocket Center in 2022. The center is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and is the visitor center for the Marshall Space Flight Center. The campus also is home to several educational programs, including the Space Camp Institute, Space Camp Robotics, U.S Cyber Camp, Aviation Challenge and the INTUITIVE Planetarium. Isaacman attended the Aviation Challenge program at the center when he was 12, which inspired him to earn a pilot's license. He briefly was President Donald Trump's nominee to lead NASA earlier this year and in September 2024 led the five-day Polaris Dawn mission for SpaceX. That mission included the first spacewalk performed by a civilian. Isaacman underwent months of vetting and was only days away from a Senate confirmation vote when Trump withdrew his nomination as NASA administrator due to "prior associations."
CNA
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Space – the final frontier with astronaut Dr Sian Proctor & Space Faculty's Dr Anna Sabaté Garcia
CNA938 Rewind In 'Culture Club', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with artist, mission pilot of SpaceX's Inspiration4 and astronaut Dr Sian Proctor, the fourth Black American woman to go to space. She'll talk about her journey going from the daughter of a NASA tracking station employee in Guam to a geoscientist and later astronaut. She'll talk about her experiences in space and why she says it's not only for scientists and engineers. Dr Proctor will also talk about creating her own art in space. Dr Anna Sabaté Garcia, aerospace engineer & Technical Head and Business Development Manager at Space Faculty (Singapore), will talk about bringing Dr Proctor to Singapore, and what else Space Faculty is planning in the future. CNA938 Rewind - Space – the final frontier with astronaut Dr Sian Proctor & Space Faculty's Dr Anna Sabaté Garcia In 'Culture Club', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with artist, mission pilot of SpaceX's Inspiration4 and astronaut Dr Sian Proctor, the fourth Black American woman to go to space. She'll talk about her journey going from the daughter of a NASA tracking station employee in Guam to a geoscientist and later astronaut. She'll talk about her experiences in space and why she says it's not only for scientists and engineers. Dr Proctor will also talk about creating her own art in space. Dr Anna Sabaté Garcia, aerospace engineer & Technical Head and Business Development Manager at Space Faculty (Singapore), will talk about bringing Dr Proctor to Singapore, and what else Space Faculty is planning in the future. 36 mins CNA938 Rewind - Taking the front seat with Volt Auto's founder & Dongfeng SG champion Soh Ming In 'Made in SG', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Soh Ming, founder and Managing Director of Volt Auto, the authorised distributor of Dongfeng automobiles in Singapore. Soh Ming will recall his journey setting up Volt Auto and the various factors affecting his business like shifting trade tariffs and changing consumer tastes. He'll also talk about electric vehicle versus hybrid vehicle trends, as well as the biggest misconceptions Singaporeans have about EV ownership. 33 mins CNA938 Rewind - Eat, Drink, Singapore - The long lunch experience at Mosella Why rush through a Sunday meal when you can take your time with Mosella's long lunch - featuring pasta, risotto, tapas and sweet dolci! We find out more behind this concept. Cheryl Goh speaks with Jason Leung, General Manager of Pan Pacific Orchard 20 mins CNA938 Rewind - The Wellness Hour - Dr Vikram series (1/3) - Hormones & Her Collagen loss, weight changes, brain fog — many women face these signs of ageing without realising hormones are often the root cause. In the first instalment of our series with Dr Vikram Senior Consultant Endocrinologist and Founder of Harmony Thyroid Endocrinology and Diabetes Centre, a member of Beyond Medical Group, Cheryl Goh finds out how hormonal shifts impact women's bodies and minds, and what they can do to restore balance and age with confidence. 17 mins
Epoch Times
07-06-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Who Is the Ex-NASA Nominee Pushed to Spotlight by Musk-Trump Spat
Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and formerly the nominee for President Donald Trump's NASA Administrator, has received scrutiny over his past donations amid growing public tensions between Trump and Elon Musk. Trump highlighted Isaacman's past donations—which In announcing the decision last week, Trump cited a 'thorough review of prior associations' and said that he would nominate an individual who would put 'America First in Space.' Isaacman had been suggested for the top space position by Musk, who heads SpaceX, the world's most valuable private space company. Isaacman helmed several spaceflight missions operated SpaceX, including the 2021 Inspiration4 and the 2024 Polaris Dawn, where he participated in the first private spacewalk. Isaacman accumulated his wealth through Shift4 Payments, the payment processing company he founded in his parents' house at age 16. He is also the founder of Draken International, an aerospace defense contractor. Trump has highlighted the fact that Musk knew Isaacman 'very well,' but said that Isaacman was a 'Democrat,' and that his nomination was 'inappropriate.' 'He happened to be a Democrat—like, totally Democrat,' Trump said. 'I say, you know, look, we won. We get certain privileges, and one of the privileges is we don't have to appoint a Democrat,' Trump told reporters last week. The NASA logo in the Webb Auditorium at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2022. STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images A senior administration official told The Epoch Times, that Isaacman's nomination wasn't pulled because of Musk and that other administration officials and nominees suggested by Musk aren't affected. 'Jared Isaacman should have never been picked,' said the senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. In a June 4 podcast 'I want to be overwhelmingly clear. I don't fault the President at all. I fully support him,' Isaacman said. Isaacman did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the U.S. Steel Corporation – Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pa., on May 30, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times Speaking of his nomination interview, he praised Trump for a depth of knowledge about the space program and China. 'The President was incredibly knowledgeable. I was impressed,' he said, noting they spoke a lot about the Chinese Air Force. After leaving the Trump administration as a special employee last week, Musk has criticized the Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the president endorsed, over its potential fiscal impact on the federal government, calling the tax and spending package an 'abomination.' Trump has since threatened to pull federal subsidies and contracts for Musk's companies, saying it would be the 'easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars.' Musk is the CEO of spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX and electric vehicle maker Tesla.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Snub of Musk's NASA nominee ally preceded sudden 'big, beautiful bill' criticism, Trump feud
A day after the White House held a farewell press conference for SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to highlight his efforts as outgoing leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump suddenly pulled Musk ally Jared Isaacman as his pick for NASA administrator. While the White House released a May 30 video chronicling Musk's contributions to DOGE and several X posts thanking him and listing various "DOGE wins," the gestures were some of the last, final public actions of goodwill between Trump and Musk. On Saturday, Trump announced in a social media post he was pulling the nomination for Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and founder and CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments after "a thorough review of prior associations." Trump also said he would unveil a "new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space." Musk Confident Doge Will Save $1 Trillion As Government Cost Cutting Continues Isaacman's affiliations with Musk include being an investor in SpaceX, in addition to leading two private spaceflight missions with SpaceX, including Inspiration4. The 2021 Inspiration4 mission was the first time an all-civilian crew orbited Earth. Read On The Fox News App Isaacman addressed his pulled nomination in an episode of the "All-In Podcast," which is hosted by four venture capitalists and covers business, technology and society, that dropped Wednesday. Specifically, Isaacman said he received a call from the White House May 30 notifying him his nomination wouldn't advance because the White House had "decided to go in a different direction." Doge Staffing Shakeup As Elon Musk Hangs Up His Hat, White House Confirms Isaacman said he suspected his ties to Musk were part of the decision, noting the call came the same day Musk's tenure with DOGE concluded. "I don't need to play dumb on this," Isaacman said in the podcast. "I don't think that the timing was much of a coincidence, that there were other changes going on the same day. "There were some people that had some axes to grind, I guess, and I was a good, visible target." Tensions between Musk and Trump continued to escalate after Musk's departure as a special government employee May 30 and Isaacman's withdrawn nomination the following day. Although Musk previously told CBS News in an interview clip released May 27 that he was disappointed by the House's passage of Trump's massive tax and spending package, the "big, beautiful bill," because it would increase the federal deficit, Musk's attacks on the measure ramped up exponentially after Trump rescinded Isaacman's nomination. Specifically, on Tuesday, Musk labeled the measure a "disgusting abomination" and followed up by urging the American public to contact lawmakers to "KILL the BILL" in an X post Wednesday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that Trump was aware of Musk's position on the bill and that it didn't change the president's stance on the measure. And Trump did not mince words Thursday as tensions between the two men reached a boiling point. Trump said Musk was irritated with provisions in the bill that would cut an electric vehicle tax credit that benefits companies like Tesla. He also suggested Musk may suffer from "Trump derangement syndrome," a term used to describe deeply negative reactions to the president. Unfinished Business: The Budget Cuts Musk Couldn't Complete And What's Next For Doge "I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people," Trump said in the Oval Office during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden, he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate because that's billions and billions of dollars, and it really is unfair." Trump also specifically mentioned Isaacman's nomination, claiming Musk recommended Isaacman for the role. But Trump voiced concern about Isaacman's ties to the Democratic Party. "He wanted and rightfully, you know, he recommended somebody that he, I guess, knew very well. I'm sure he respected him, but to run NASA," Trump told reporters Thursday. "And I didn't think it was appropriate. And he happened to be a Democrat, like, totally Democrat. And I say, you know, look, we won. We get certain privileges. And one of the privileges is we don't have to appoint a Democrat. NASA is very important." Trump then said he "understood" why Musk was upset over the pulled nomination. The White House directed Fox News Digital to Trump's comments Thursday and Isaacman's previous donations to Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Isaacman told the "All-In Podcast" he doesn't think his past political donations to Democrats were a factor in his pulled nomination, and that he identifies as "right-leaning." Isaacman and Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Trump and Musk continued to trade barbs Thursday. At one point, Musk urged the removal of the "disgusting pork" included in Trump's tax and spending bill. He also said it was "false" that he was shown the measure "even once." Musk even went so far as to say Trump wouldn't have won the 2024 election if it weren't for Musk's backing. Meanwhile, Trump accused Musk of going "CRAZY" over cuts to the EV credits and said Musk was "wearing thin." Although Politico reported that Trump and Musk were slated to speak Friday over the phone, Trump shut down speculation of a call between the two. "No. I won't be speaking to him for a while I guess, but I wish him well," Trump said, according to CNN. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem. The poor guy's got a problem," Trump said. Despite Musk's departure, White House officials have said DOGE's efforts to address waste, fraud and abuse will continue, and Trump and cabinet members will oversee DOGE. The agency is expected to formally shut down July 4, article source: Snub of Musk's NASA nominee ally preceded sudden 'big, beautiful bill' criticism, Trump feud
