Jared Isaacman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jared Isaacman
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Isaacman at his Senate confirmation hearing in April 2025
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| Born | February 11, 1983 Summit, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide (BS) |
| Spouse(s) | 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 billionaire, pilot, and commercial astronaut. He founded Shift4 Payments, a company that handles payments for businesses. He also started Draken International, which trains pilots for the U.S., British, and other air forces.
Jared Isaacman has helped make space travel more competitive. He has also helped reduce how much the space industry relies on government programs. In May 2025, his wealth was estimated to be about US$1.4 billion.
Isaacman led Inspiration4, the first space mission with only private citizens. This mission used SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft. It launched from Kennedy Space Center on September 16, 2021. He later led Polaris Dawn, where he became the first private citizen to perform a spacewalk.
In December 2024, President Donald Trump chose him to be the head of NASA. During his hearing in April 2025, Isaacman said he wanted to start a "new Golden Age of Science and Discovery" at NASA. He was asked about his close connections to Elon Musk, who founded SpaceX. SpaceX is one of NASA's biggest partners. On May 31, 2025, Trump withdrew Isaacman's nomination. This happened before a disagreement between Trump and Elon Musk.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jared Isaacman was born on February 11, 1983. He was born in Summit, New Jersey. His parents are Donald and Sandra Marie Isaacman. He is the youngest of four children. His family lived in different towns in New Jersey as he grew up.
He went to elementary and middle school in New Jersey. When he was in high school, he started a computer business with a friend. At age 16, he left school to work full-time. He later earned his GED. In 2011, he earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautics. He got this degree online from Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University.
Business Ventures
Founding Shift4 Payments
In 1999, Isaacman started a company called United Bank Card. This company later became Shift4 Payments. It helps businesses process payments from customers. He has been the CEO since the company began. By 2015, the company was making $300 million in revenue. It processed $11 billion in payments each year. By 2020, it processed $200 billion in payments annually. In 2020, Isaacman made Shift4 a public company. This means its shares can be bought and sold on a stock exchange. The company also started processing payments for SpaceX's internet service, Starlink.
Creating Draken International
In 2012, Isaacman also helped start Draken International. This company is based in Florida. It owns many private fighter jets. Draken International trains U.S. military pilots. The company manages large defense contracts. Isaacman said this saved taxpayers a lot of money.
Aviation and Space Exploration
Skilled Pilot
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Jared Isaacman is a skilled pilot. He can fly many types of military jets. He has flown for over 7,000 hours. In 2010, he helped create the Black Diamond Jet Team. This team performs at airshows. He tried twice to break the world record for flying around the globe in a light jet. In 2009, he set a new record. He flew around the world in 61 hours, 51 minutes, and 15 seconds. This was about 20 hours faster than the old record. During his fighter jet training, he received the call sign "Rook."
Private Space Missions
Inspiration4 Mission
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In February 2021, Isaacman announced he would lead Inspiration4. This was the first space mission to orbit Earth with no professional astronauts. SpaceX operated the mission using the Crew Dragon spacecraft. It launched on September 15, 2021. The spacecraft orbited Earth for three days. During the mission, Isaacman made the first known sports bets from space. The flight also raised over $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This was a cause Isaacman strongly supported.
Polaris Dawn Mission
In 2024, Isaacman led Polaris Dawn. This was the first mission in the privately funded Polaris Program. The four-person crew traveled very far from Earth. They reached an altitude of 1,400 kilometers (about 870 miles). This was farther than any human had gone since the last time people walked on the Moon. Then, they lowered their altitude to 700 kilometers (about 435 miles).
On September 12, Isaacman and crewmate Sarah Gillis performed the first private extravehicular activity (EVA). This means they became the first civilians to do a spacewalk. They did not fully leave the spacecraft. Over the five-day flight, the crew did 40 science experiments. They also tested Starlink laser-based communications in orbit.
Nomination for NASA Administrator
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On December 4, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Isaacman. He was chosen to be the 15th administrator of NASA. This was the first time a President-elect had named someone for this job before taking office. His nomination was officially submitted on January 20, 2025.
Many people supported Isaacman's nomination. This included politicians and people in the space industry. However, some people worried about his connections to SpaceX and Elon Musk. They feared NASA might focus too much on a Mars landing instead of the Artemis mission to the Moon.
In a letter to the Senate on March 12, Isaacman promised to leave his job at Shift4. He also said he would cancel the remaining Polaris Program missions if he was confirmed. He repeated this promise during his hearing on April 9. He told lawmakers that the Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services programs would remain top priorities.
During his testimony, Isaacman talked about making NASA more efficient and innovative. He supported Artemis II and III missions using the Space Launch System rocket. He also supported the Orion spacecraft. But he questioned why these systems take so long and cost so much. He wanted to review their future use. He also promised to keep the International Space Station (ISS) running until 2030. He wanted to increase scientific work through partnerships with private companies.
Isaacman passed the Senate Committee vote on April 30, 2025. The vote was 19 to 9.
On May 31, 2025, it was reported that the White House had withdrawn Isaacman's nomination. Trump later said this was because of Isaacman’s past political donations. A White House spokesperson said the next NASA leader needed to agree with President Trump’s agenda. Some reports suggested the withdrawal was also a way to punish Elon Musk.
Personal Life
Jared Isaacman is Jewish, but he has said he is not religious. He is married to Monica Isaacman. They have two daughters. He lives in Washington Township, New Jersey.
See Also
- Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space (2021 Netflix documentary series)
