September 12th 2024.
Jared Isaacman is making history today as he leads the first-ever commercial spacewalk. This groundbreaking mission, known as Polaris Dawn, is funded by Isaacman himself, a billionaire entrepreneur who made his fortune as founder of the payments processing company Shift4. He will be joined by a team of four astronauts, including retired air force pilot Scott 'Kidd' Poteet, and two SpaceX engineers, Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis.
Although this is not Isaacman's first time in space, it is a significant mission as the crew plans to travel further than any other expedition since the Apollo era. They will also be the first to field-test SpaceX's new spacesuits, which are designed for increased mobility and feature a mask display showing important information such as air supply, pressure levels, and temperature. But how did a billionaire financier become the head of such a groundbreaking space flight? Let's take a closer look at the man behind the mission.
Isaacman's path to success began at a young age when he dropped out of high school at 15 to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams. He founded his first company, United Bank Card, at the age of 16 and eventually turned it into Shift4 Payments, one of the largest payment processing firms in the U.S. He later founded Draken International, a training company for air force pilots, which he then sold in 2020, making him a billionaire.
As an accomplished pilot and adventurer, Isaacman always had a passion for aviation. In 2020, he opened discussions with SpaceX about launching an all-civilian spaceflight, which resulted in the successful Inspiration4 mission in September 2021. This mission was personally funded by Isaacman and also raised awareness and funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Building on this success, Isaacman announced the Polaris Program in 2022, which aims to push the boundaries of space exploration.
The purpose of the Polaris Dawn mission goes beyond commercial interests. It is a crucial step in testing SpaceX's new spacesuits and advancing their goal of sending humans to other worlds. As fellow crewmember Sarah Gillis explained, this mission will help improve future suit designs and ultimately contribute to SpaceX's long-term dream of making life multiplanetary.
The spacewalk itself will be a historic moment, as the crew will exit the spacecraft through the hatch at the top of the Crew Dragon. Isaacman and Gillis will embark on the spacewalk, while the other two crew members will support them from inside. This mission is not without risks, especially for a crew of rookies, but experts have warned against dismissing it as a vanity project. In fact, Isaacman's experience as a previous space traveler makes him the natural choice for commander.
As we witness the first-ever commercial spacewalk led by Jared Isaacman, we are reminded of the endless possibilities and potential for humanity's future in space. With innovative companies like SpaceX and visionary leaders like Isaacman, we are one step closer to making our dreams of space exploration a reality.
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