Jared Isaacman, tech entrepreneur, astronaut and commander of Polaris Dawn, a civilian mission scheduled to launch soon aboard a SpaceX capsule, is committed to advancing the development of the commercial space industry.
“I share the dream of many that commercial space will finally open the last great frontier of space,” Isaacman said. “First, and perhaps most importantly, we need to identify the catalyst for a true space economy that necessitates humans in orbit. At that point, there will be regular missions to LEO [low earth orbit] and the lunar surface, putting hundreds and then thousands of people into space simultaneously. From there, we will send humans to another planet for the first time, and then we will have taken the next giant leap on the journey to unlocking the mysteries of the universe.”
Isaacman says the most significant challenges to a successful commercial space industry are economics and prioritization.
“It is all just a matter of time before [suborbital point-to-point travel] is a viable path for quick transportation.”
“Even with the cost of accessing orbit coming down materially, we still don’t have a good reason why we need lots of humans in space. There needs to be a space economy and that could stem from biotech, asteroid mining, manufacturing or some other major development. The world needs a reason to prioritize space beyond its current applications,” Isaacman explained.
Human physiology and psychological limitations present new challenges when missions to other planets are considered.
While some might consider commercial space flight to be a bucket list item or even something best suited to sci-fi movies, Isaacman sees a potential role for suborbital spaceflight in business aviation.
“The higher the altitude the faster you can go as there is less atmosphere to contend with,” said Isaacman. “So, the idea that there might be suborbital point-to-point travel is certainly possible. It is all just a matter of time before this is a viable path for quick transportation.”
Back on Earth, Polaris Dawn has partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, to raise funds to support St. Jude’s mission to provide health care in places that need it the most.
Jared Isaacman, mission commander of Polaris Dawn, is a tech entrepreneur with a passion for aviation and space. He is the CEO of Shift4, an integrated payment processing solution. Isaacman has over 7,000 flight hours with ratings in multiple experimental and ex-military aircraft and was part of the Black Diamond Jet Team. He also holds several world records, including two speed-around-the-world flights in 2008 and 2009. In addition, Isaacman was the commander of Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit. Named in recognition of the four-person crew that raised awareness and over $250 million for St. Jude Hospital, this milestone represented a new era for human spaceflight and exploration. Isaacman resides in Pennsylvania with his wife, Monica, and their two children.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.