Polaris

SpaceX

This astronaut crossed the Kármán Line (100 km), the internationally accepted boundary of space.

Crossed Kármán Line

This astronaut became the first commercial spacewalker

First Commercial Spacewalker

Jared “Rook” Isaacman is the 15th Administrator of NASA and a lifelong aviation and space enthusiast whose career spans entrepreneurship, aerospace, and human spaceflight. He founded the payment processing company Shift4 as a teenager, growing it into a global business before taking it public in 2020, and later co-founded Draken International, a military pilot training company he sold in 2019. A highly experienced pilot with more than 8,000 flight hours, Isaacman commanded the first all-civilian orbital mission, Inspiration4, in 2021, and later led Polaris Dawn, which reached the farthest distance from Earth since Apollo 17 and included the first commercial spacewalk. Nominated by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in late 2025, Isaacman holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle and lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters. Courtesy of NASA.

Polaris Dawn

The Polaris Dawn Mission took major steps in the advancement of human spaceflight. 

During the 5-day flight, Commander Jared Isaacman and Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis made history by performing the first-ever commercial spacewalk. Since the Crew Dragon spacecraft doesn’t have an airlock, the entire capsule was depressurized, exposing all four crew members to the dangers of space. Isaacman stepped out first, spending nearly eight minutes outside, followed by Gillis, making her the youngest person to participate in a spacewalk. Meanwhile, Pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet and Mission Specialist & Medical Officer Anna Menon remained inside the capsule with their suits for protection, monitoring systems and ensuring the safety of the operation. 

This groundbreaking event not only marked an important milestone in commercial spaceflight but also demonstrated the capabilities of SpaceX’s newly designed EVA suits, paving the way for future missions beyond Earth. 

The Polaris Dawn mission also tested Starlink’s laser technology in space, ensuring fast and uninterrupted communications for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis became the first to play a violin in space, creating a global musical message called “Harmony of Resilience,” supported by legendary Star Wars composer John Williams and musicians around the world. 

While orbiting Earth, the crew performed important health research to help us understand how space travel affects humans. They used ultrasound to check for gas bubbles in the blood, studied how space radiation impacts the human body, and gathered biological samples for long-term studies. They also researched vision problems astronauts can experience during long missions. Polaris Dawn worked with top research institutions and universities to carry out this critical science. 

The mission explored how to make space accessible and safer for more people. They tested a continuous glucose monitor to ensure diabetic astronauts can safely travel in space. 

The crew also experimented with performing life-saving CPR in microgravity conditions, which is crucial as more people travel to space. Finally, they investigated how astronauts adapt back to gravity after space missions and tested whether medications remain useful in space conditions.

Crew Dragon is the first privately built and operated orbital spacecraft capable of flying humans. As a reusable SpaceX capsule, it transports crew members to and from the International Space Station. It will also carry paying customers to the Station and low Earth orbit. While it typically accommodates a crew of four, this number can vary depending on the mission.

Crew Dragon

Inspiration4

Inspiration4 was the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit. The mission was commanded by Jared Isaacman, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shift4 Payments and an accomplished pilot and adventurer. Named in recognition of the four-person crew that raised awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, this milestone represented a new era for human spaceflight and exploration.

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