Latest news with #PolarisDawn
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."
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No longer in the running to head NASA, Jared Isaacman turns focus to private space missions
Jared Isaacman may no longer have a shot at leading NASA, but that doesn't mean the billionaire and private astronaut is done with space. In one of his first public appearances since President Donald Trump withdrew his nomination for him to be NASA administrator, Isaacman indicated he still has an interest in facilitating private spaceflight missions. The billionaire, who has been to space twice in two previous missions jointly funded with SpaceX, also hasn't ruled out making another cosmic venture now that he'll have more free time on his hands. Isaacman's recent comments came June 21 after he received the National Space Society's Wernher von Braun Award for Polaris Dawn, the private astronaut mission he commanded in September 2024, reported. After a prepared speech, Isaacman also spoke of what his priorities would have been had he been confirmed as NASA administrator. Here's what Isaacman recently discussed, as well as what to know about the billionaire spaceflight enthusiast. In comments after a speech at the National Space Society's conference, Isaacman reportedly indicated his interest in exploring space outside of the agency, according to SpaceNews. Isaacman's comments come at a difficult time for NASA − the agency faces steep budget cuts that can put several exploration missions at risk. Isaacman said in June that as NASA administrator, he would have sought partnerships with academic institutions that would have given such organizations a bigger role in funding. Rather than focusing on human spaceflights missions, Isaacman suggested he's more interested now in bankrolling uncrewed robotic missions. Isaacman's Polaris Dawn mission was intended to be the first of three missions he planned to fund under the Polaris Program. While he set those missions aside when he was nominated to lead NASA, it's unclear just when, or if, he'll pick them back up. But in previous comments on social media, Isaacmen left the door open to going to space again. "I have not flown my last mission," Isaacman said in a post May 31 on social media site X after Trump pulled his nomination to head NASA. "Whatever form that may ultimately take – but I remain incredibly optimistic that humanity's greatest spacefaring days lie ahead." Isaacman, founder of payment processing company Shift4 Payments, has been to space twice under his private spaceflight venture known as the Polaris Program. The most recent expedition drew plenty of headlines in September 2024 when Isaacman flew with an all-civilian crew of amateur spacefarers on a mission he jointly funded with Elon Musk's SpaceX. During the mission, known as Polaris Dawn, the four-member crew ascended to 870 miles above Earth's surface – higher than any crewed vehicle has traveled since NASA's Apollo era ended in the 1970s. Two days into the mission, they became the first non-government astronauts to complete a spacewalk when both Isaacman and crew member Sarah Gillis exited the Dragon capsule separately for about 10 minutes each to take in the endless black expanse of outer space. Isaacman's first trip to space came when he commanded the first all-civilian space crew in 2021 aboard a SpaceX capsule as part of a mission known as Inspiration4. Netflix filmed a documentary about the Inspiration4 mission. By that time, space tourists had already begun taking short trips to the edge of space with companies like Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. But Inspiration4 became known as the world's first all-civilian extended mission to space, with Isaacman, who funded the spaceflight, and three others spending three days living in orbit and conducting research. Isaacman's nomination to lead NASA was well-received by most of the space community and members of Congress. But at a critical time when the U.S. space agency is preparing to return humans to the moon and send the first astronauts to Mars, Trump suddenly pulled Isaacman's bid in late May. The decision came after Isaacman had cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in April and appeared on track for a full Senate vote. Though Trump never offered a concrete reason for the about-face, Isaacman faced some pushback in the Senate for his close ties to Musk at a time when the SpaceX founder was on his way out of the White House. Other reports have suggested Isaacman's past donations to Democrats may have influenced Trumps decision, who said in a statement that "the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda." Trump, who said on Truth Social that he will propose a new nominee, first announced Isaacman's nomination in a December 2024 post, saying, 'Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in space science, technology, and exploration.' NASA has now lacked a full-time administrator since Bill Nelson stepped down on Jan. 20, the day of Trump's inauguration. Contributing: Joey Garrison, USA TODAY; Brooke Edwards, FLORIDA TODAY Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: After Trump pulls Isaacman NASA bid, billionaire eyes next space mission
Gizmodo
23-06-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Trump Snubbed Jared Isaacman as NASA Chief, but the Private Astronaut Isn't Done With Space Yet
Although Jared Isaacman is out of the running for the position of NASA administrator, the space enthusiast is still very much interested in staying in the game. In a recent appearance, Isaacman revealed he would still like to pursue launching robotic missions to space. This weekend, Isaacman received the National Space Society's Wernher von Braun Award for the privately funded Polaris Dawn mission that he led in September 2024. After his speech, Isaacman spoke of plans he would have executed as NASA administrator, as well as some that the private astronaut is still interested in pursuing outside of the agency, SpaceNews reported. This comes less than a month after President Donald Trump withdrew his nomination of Isaacman to lead NASA in a surprising switch-up that left members of the space community disappointed. In comments to the press, Isaacman mentioned that one of the goals he had for NASA was to partner with academic organizations on science missions. 'My priorities would have been leadership in space and the orbital economy and trying to introduce a concept where NASA could help enable others to conduct interesting scientific missions, getting academic organizations to contribute,' he said. 'I wouldn't mind maybe trying to put that to a test and see if you could fund an interesting robotic mission, just to show that it can be done, and try and get some of the top tier academic institutions who want to perform,' Isaacman added. 'So that's on my mind.' Isaacman previously funded the private missions he was a part of. In 2021, he purchased all four seats on board SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft for the Inspiration4 mission. Under the Polaris Dawn program, Isaacman contracted with SpaceX to fund a series of missions, the first of which launched on September 10, 2024 and pulled off the first commercial spacewalk in history. Rather than focusing on human-led private missions, Isaacman is now looking to launch space exploration missions out of pocket. This comes at a time when NASA is facing severe budget cuts that threaten several science missions and put the agency's ability to pursue space exploration at risk. The current administration's so-called skinny budget proposes a $6 billion cut to the agency, 24% less than NASA's current $24.8 billion budget for 2025. As part of the proposal, the agency's astrophysics budget will drop to less than half a billion dollars from $1.5 billion. Its planetary science budget would drop from $2.7 billion to $1.9 billion, while its Earth science budget would fall to just over $1 billion from about $2.2 billion. NASA's Mars Sample Return, a bold quest to bring bits of Mars to Earth, is on the chopping block as part of the 2026 proposed budget. Other missions, such as NASA's Juno that has been exploring Jupiter since 2016, face cancellation, while planned future missions, such as DAVINCI and VERITAS, may never launch. Isaacman's nomination to lead NASA was a welcomed move by the space community as the agency struggles with pressure to return humans to the Moon and land astronauts on Mars. If he were given the helm, Isaacman would have focused on reusable hardware to launch the Artemis missions to the Moon while ditching NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), a giant, expendable rocket that has gone $6 billion over-budget, he revealed in a podcast earlier this month.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket with 23 Starlink satellites from Florida
The Brief SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with 23 Starlink satellites on Tuesday morning from Florida. The launch took place at 9:05 a.m. with additional backup opportunities not needed. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with 23 Starlink satellites on Tuesday morning from Florida. What we know SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with 23 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit. The backstory This was the 12th flight for the first-stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-8, Polaris Dawn, CRS-31, Astranis: From One to Many, IM-2 and six Starlink missions. What's next Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Timeline The launch took place at 9:05 a.m. on Tuesday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Brevard County. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by SpaceX on its website.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SpaceX rocket launch in Florida uses Falcon 9 booster that launched former NASA admin pick
The first of back-to-back SpaceX launches took off on time June 10, and the Falcon 9 booster supporting this launch was an interesting choice. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 9:05 a.m. carrying 23 Starlink internet satellites to orbit from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first-stage booster that powered this mission was the same booster that launched the Polaris Dawn crew. The Polaris Dawn mission was commanded and funded by President Trump's former nominee for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman. The Polaris Dawn mission, which also included two SpaceX employees, performed the first spacewalk by a private company and traveled the furthest into space since the Apollo moon missions. Isaacman was Trump's pick to serve as NASA administrator, but on May 31 Trump dropped Isaacman, saying he needed someone more aligned with this goals. A new choice for NASA administrator has yet to be announced. "After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space." The change came just days before a public feud erupted on X between Trump and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, who was close to Isaacman. On June 9, Isaacman posted the following to X in a discussion on what his plans would have been for NASA, which faces steep budget cuts in President Trump's proposal to Congress. "Spent the last few months assembling a pretty extensive plan—shaped by insights from a lot of smart, passionate people. No shortage of input — everyone loves NASA and wants to help. Maybe I will write an op-ed someday — but I didn't love being inundated with plans from people who thought they were uniquely NASA's savior — and I have little interest in doing the same," wrote Isaacman. "In short, I would have deleted the bureaucracy that impedes progress and robs resources from the mission (this is not unique to NASA it's a govt problem). I would flatten the hierarchy, rebuild the culture— centered on ownership, urgency, mission-focus alongside a risk recalibration. Then concentrate resources on the big needle movers NASA was meant to achieve," he wrote. When is the next Florida rocket launch? Live updates: 1st of back-to-back launch days to see SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral Previous missions this Polaris Dawn booster flew include: NASA's Crew-8, CRS-31, Astranis: From One to Many, IM-2, and six other Starlink missions. Overall, it was the 12th flight of the booster. Just over eight minutes after liftoff, the booster landed on the Just Read the Instruction drone ship, which was stationed out on the Atlantic Ocean. Tuesday's launch was the first of what may be back-to-back SpaceX launch days. The launch of the Axiom Space Mission 4 (Ax-4) astronauts is set for no earlier than 8 a.m. on June 11 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center pad 39A. Originally set for June 10, the launch was postponed due to poor weather in the ascent corridor. Commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the international crew of four astronauts will spend two weeks on the International Space Station. With the mission traveling to the space station, the mission must lift off on time or scrub for the day. The SpaceX booster from the Axiom mission will return to Cape Canaveral, creating an early morning Space Coast sonic boom. The FLORIDA TODAY Space Team will provide live updates beginning two hours prior to launch at Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@ or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX rocket launch in Florida used booster that launched Isaacman
