Private astronaut Jared Isaacman gives 'unbelievable' donation to Brevard Space Force museums
Inspiration4 astronaut and billionaire Jared Isaacman is giving the U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation the largest private donation in the nonprofit's 35-year history, funding the future meticulous restoration of rare missile-related artifacts and other museum upgrades in Brevard County.
"This is exciting for the museum, a great move forward for preserving the rich history of the Cape and offering it to many generations to come," said Jamie Draper, director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.
"We're just really excited about this and eager to get to work on these restorations and exhibit projects," Draper said.
Foundation chairman Ray Sands declined to divulge the amount of Isaacman's "unbelievable" donation. Isaacman is founder and CEO of Shift4, a commerce finance company that processes more than $260 billion in global transactions per year.
A jet pilot who co-founded the Black Diamond Jet Team, Isaacman financed and commanded the Inspiration4 mission — the first all-civilian-astronaut orbital spaceflight — that made history by launching in a SpaceX Dragon capsule in September 2021 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
The three-day spaceflight generated more than $250 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — Isaacman pledged at least $100 million of that sum. Looking ahead, Isaacman has commissioned Polaris Dawn, another SpaceX Falcon 9 launch that will propel a crew of four in a Dragon into orbit to conduct the first-ever commercial astronaut spacewalk.
Launch is tentatively scheduled for no earlier than summer. Isaacman will command the mission.
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"I am pleased to be able to support the USSF's mission to preserve and promote the rich heritage of space development, education and exploration," Isaacman said in an email about his museum donation.
A Polaris Dawn spokesperson said Isaacman did not have time for an interview because his schedule "is incredibly tight leading up to launch."
"He's an innovator. He's a pioneer. And he's doing things like Alan Shepard and John Glenn and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin — and all those amazing astronauts of the past that were willing to risk their lives in order to break down existing barriers," Sands said.
Subroc, 'Big Shot Shroud' to be rebuilt
The U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation supports construction, maintenance and restoration of about 100 rockets, missiles, related hardware and indoor exhibits at Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, the Sands Space History Center near Port Canaveral, and Hangar C, a former missile assembly building next to the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse where Wernher von Braun reportedly had a second-floor office.
Draper said Isaacman's donation will restore and rebuild:
A Subroc, a Navy submarine-launched guided missile developed during the late 1950s that was designed to destroy enemy submarines at long range.
"It was essentially a flying torpedo: solid-rocket motor, nuclear depth charge. It's just a wild concept and true Cold War technology," Draper said.
Labeling the Subroc "a rare specimen," he said only a couple of others are known to exist.
A "Big Shot Shroud." This nose cone-like casing carried large aluminized plastic balloon satellites atop Thor missiles for inflation at high altitudes during NASA's 1962 Project Echo experimental flights from Launch Complex 17.
Draper said the balloons were ejected and inflated 250 miles above the Earth's surface, and technicians bounced radio signals off them as NASA's first communications satellites.
"Very interesting. And we are unaware of any other Big Shot Shrouds left in existence. This could be the last of its kind, and we've had it here on display since 1968," he said.
An ARCAS weather rocket launcher.
"Hundreds of these were launched from the Cape back in the 1960s and '70s. And what they did is — before a major space launch or maybe a missile testing launch, something along those lines — they would launch scores of these ARCAS rockets to gather upper atmospheric weather data," Draper said.
Museum officials believe their cannon-like ARCAS launcher is the only one of its kind left in existence, he said.
What's more, Sands said Isaacman's donation will fund a fourth undisclosed restoration project "that will illuminate a fascinating untold historical Cape story."
Florida environment 'inhospitable' for artifacts
Draper said museum officials still have quite a few outdoor static displays on the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum grounds — exposing the vintage metal artifacts to "one of the most inhospitable preservation environments in the world."
"The intense sun. The intense heat. Intense humidity. Not just a salty ocean breeze, but a heavily ionized salty ocean breeze, from what corrosion people tell me," Draper said.
"There's also exotic pests. There's tropical storms. All kinds of issues to contend with," he said.
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Draper said a historical restoration contractor will analyze and disassemble the Subroc, Big Shot Shroud and ARCAS launcher, then remove active granular corrosion, replace damaged material, apply a zinc layer, repaint and reassemble for museum display inside Hangar C.
"The final product is something that looks new off the assembly line during the Cold War era, while still maintaining as much of the historical material as possible," he said.
Sands museum eyeing future expansion
Sands said Isaacman's donation will also add new Space Force explanatory displays at the Sands Space History Center and a "Women Pioneers in Aerospace" exhibit at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.
"And then, we're also going to be able to use some of these funds for securing key, one-of-a-kind artifacts from private collections of individuals for the museum," Sands said.
Formerly titled the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Museum Foundation, Sands said the nonprofit relies on charitable donations and gift shop proceeds and receives no Department of Defense funding.
Future expansion of the Sands Space History Museum property is in the planning and due-diligence process, he said. More details will be released in the coming weeks.
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A Space Florida study unveiled this month depicts a futuristic vision showing a $2.1 billion wharf expansion for commercial space companies stretching northward from Port Canaveral's Middle Turning Basin. If that ambitious plan becomes reality, crews should build that wharf just to the west of Sands Space History Museum grounds, Sands said.
"We aren't going anywhere," Sands said.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, which encompasses adjoining Launch Complex 26 and Launch Complex 5/6, and Hangar C are behind the gates of the military installation. Admission is conducted via certified tours.
The Sands Space History Center, which is located near the north side of the Port Canaveral channel at 100 Spaceport Way, just outside the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station south gate. This museum offers free admission and is readily accessible by the general public.
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Inspiration4's Jared Isaacman gives big donation to Space Force museums
