Jared Isaacman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jared Isaacman
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Isaacman in 2022
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| Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
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Nominee
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| Assuming office TBD |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Succeeding | Bill Nelson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 11, 1983 Union, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Spouse | Monica Isaacman |
| Children | 2 |
| Space career | |
Commercial astronaut |
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Time in space
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7 days, 21 hours, 17 minutes |
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Total EVAs
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1 |
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Total EVA time
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7 minutes, 56 seconds |
| Missions | |
Jared Taylor Isaacman (born February 11, 1983) is an American businessman, pilot, and someone who gives a lot to charity. He is also a commercial astronaut, meaning he flies to space for private companies, not for a government. In January 2025, President Donald Trump chose him to be the next leader of NASA, the United States' space agency.
Jared Isaacman started two big companies. He founded Draken International, which helps train pilots for the U.S. and other countries. He also started Shift4 Payments, a company that helps businesses process payments. He has helped make space travel more competitive and less dependent on government programs.
In 2021, Isaacman was the commander of Inspiration4. This was a special private space mission that used SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft. It launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew orbited Earth for three days at a height of 585 kilometers (about 363 miles). This mission also raised money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Isaacman promised to donate $100 million himself, and he has given over $125 million to the hospital so far.
In 2024, Isaacman led another mission called Polaris Dawn. This was the first flight in a series of missions called the Polaris Program. During this trip, on September 12, 2024, Jared Isaacman became the first private citizen to perform a spacewalk.
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Early Life and Education
Jared Isaacman was born on February 11, 1983, in Summit, New Jersey. He is the youngest of four children. His family lived in Union Township, Union County, New Jersey, before moving to Westfield, New Jersey.
He went to Wilson Elementary School in Westfield. When he was 12, his family moved to Liberty Corner, New Jersey. He attended William Annin Middle School there.
When he was in high school, he started a computer services company with a friend. He was offered a full-time job and decided to leave high school in 1999. He later earned his Graduation Equivalency Degree (GED). He then went to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he earned a degree in Professional Aeronautics.
Business Ventures
Shift4 Payments
In 1999, Jared Isaacman started a company called United Bank Card. This company helped businesses process payments. It was later renamed Harbortouch and then Shift4 Payments. He was the first CEO and still leads the company today. By 2020, Shift4 Payments was processing over $200 billion in payments each year.
Draken International
In 2012, Isaacman also helped start Draken International. This company is based in Florida. It trains pilots for the U.S. military and other countries. Draken International has one of the largest collections of privately owned fighter jets in the world.
Flying and Records
Jared Isaacman is a skilled pilot. He can fly many types of military jet aircraft. He also performs at airshows with his Black Diamond Jet Team, which he helped create in 2010.
In 2008, he tried to set a new world record for flying around the world in a light jet. He finished in 83 hours, just missing the record of 82 hours. This flight helped raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
In April 2009, he tried again and set a new world record! He flew around the world in 61 hours, 51 minutes, and 15 seconds. This was about 20 hours faster than the old record. He flew a Cessna Citation CJ2 with two other crew members. This record attempt also raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Space Missions
Inspiration4 Mission
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In February 2021, Jared Isaacman announced he would lead Inspiration4. This was the first private human space mission where no one on board was from a government space agency. SpaceX operated the mission using its Crew Dragon spacecraft and a Falcon 9 rocket.
In August 2021, Isaacman and the Inspiration4 crew were featured on the cover of Time magazine. The mission launched on September 15, 2021, and returned to Earth three days later. During the mission, Isaacman even placed the first known sports bet from space!
Polaris Dawn Mission
In September 2024, Isaacman commanded the Polaris Dawn mission. This mission is part of a larger space program called the Polaris program. The crew included Isaacman, Kidd (Scott) Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon. They flew to a record-breaking height of 1400 kilometers (about 870 miles) above Earth.
On September 12, 2024, the crew completed a spacewalk that lasted several hours. All crew members were exposed to the vacuum of space. Isaacman and Sarah Gillis performed "Stand-up Extravehicular Activities" (SEVAs), where they stood partly outside the spacecraft. Over five days, the crew did about 40 different science experiments. They also completed the first test of Starlink laser communication in space with a crew.
Personal Life
Jared Isaacman is Jewish, but he has said that he is not religious. He is married and has two daughters. He lives in Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey.
See also
In Spanish: Jared Isaacman para niños
- Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space (2021 Netflix documentary series)
