Astronaut and Inspiration4 billionaire Jared Isaacman is giving the US Space Force Historical Foundation the largest private donation in the nonprofit’s 35-year history, funding the future meticulous restoration of rare rocket-related artifacts and other museum improvements in Brevard County.
“This is exciting for the museum, a major step forward in preserving the Cape’s rich history and making it available for many generations to come,” said Jamie Draper, director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.
“We’re very excited about it and eager to work on these restorations and exhibit projects,” Draper said.
Foundation chairman Ray Sands declined to disclose the amount of Isaacman’s “incredible” donation. Isaacman is the founder and CEO of Shift4, a trade finance company that processes more than $260 billion in global transactions annually.
A jet pilot who co-founded the Black Diamond Jet Team, Isaacman funded and commanded the Inspiration4 mission — the first all-civilian-astronaut orbital flight — 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. Mary’s Children’s Research Hospital. Jude – Isaacman promised at least $100 million of that amount. Looking ahead, Isaacman has ordered Polaris Dawn, another SpaceX Falcon 9 launch that will propel a crew of four aboard a Dragon into orbit to perform the first commercial astronaut spacewalk.
The launch is tentatively planned 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 donation to the museum.
A spokesman for Polaris Dawn said Isaacman did not have time for an interview because his schedule “is incredibly tight before 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 who were willing to risk their lives to break down existing barriers.” Sands said.
Subroc, the ‘Big Shot Shroud’ will be rebuilt
The US Space Force Historical Foundation supports the construction, maintenance and restoration of approximately 100 missiles, rockets, related equipment and indoor exhibits at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, the Sands Space History Center near Port Canaveral, and Hangar C, a building previous rocket assembly. at the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse where Wernher von Braun is said to have had an office on the second floor.
Draper said Isaacman’s donation will restore and rebuild:
- A Subroc, a Navy submarine-guided missile developed during the late 1950s that was designed to destroy enemy submarines at long range.
“It was basically a flying torpedo: solid rocket motor, nuclear depth charge. It’s just a wild concept and real Cold War technology,” Draper said.
Labeling Subroc as “a rare specimen”, he said only a few others are known to exist.
- A Big Shot Shroud. This nose cone-like pod carried large aluminum satellites with plastic balloons atop Thor rockets for high-altitude inflation during NASA’s 1962 experimental flights from Launch Complex 17.
Draper said the balloons were launched and inflated 250 miles above the Earth’s surface, and technicians returned radio signals as NASA’s first communications satellites.
“Very interesting. And we’re not aware of any Big Shot Shrouds left in existence. This may be the last of its kind, and we’ve had it here on display since 1968,” he said.
- An ARCAS meteorological missile.
“Hundreds of them were launched from the Cape in the 1960s and 1970s. And what they did is — before a big space launch or maybe a rocket test launch, something along those lines — they would launch a lot of these ARCAS missiles to collect upper atmospheric weather data,” said Draper.
Museum officials believe their ARCAS ball-like launcher is the only one of its kind in existence, he said.
In addition, Sands said Isaacman’s donation will fund a fourth undisclosed restoration project “that will shine a light on an interesting untold Cape historical story.”
Florida environment ‘inhospitable’ to artifacts
Draper said museum officials still have plenty of static exhibits on the grounds of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum — displaying vintage metal artifacts in “one of the most uncomfortable storage environments in the world.”
“Intense sun. Intense heat. Intense humidity. Not just a salty ocean breeze, but a highly ionized salty ocean breeze, from the corrosion people tell me,” Draper said.
“There are also exotic pests. There are tropical storms. All kinds of issues to contend with,” he said.
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Draper said a historic restoration contractor will analyze and disassemble the Subroc launcher, Big Shot Shroud and ARCAS, then remove active pitting corrosion, replace damaged material, apply a zinc coating, paint and will reassemble it for museum display inside Hangar C.
“The end product is something that looks new off the assembly line during the Cold War era, while still retaining as much of the historic material as possible,” he said.
The Sands Museum is targeting future expansion
Sands said Isaacman’s donation will also add new Space Force interpretive exhibits at the Sands Space History Center and a “Women Pioneers in Space” exhibit at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.
“And then, we will also be able to use some of these funds to secure key, special 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 funding from the Department of Defense.
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 outlines a futuristic vision that shows a $2.1 billion expansion of the commercial space companies’ pier extending north from Port Canaveral’s mid-turn basin. If that ambitious plan becomes a reality, crews should build that pier just west of the Sands Space History Museum grounds, Sands said.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Sands said.
The Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, which includes the adjacent Launch Complex 26 and Launch Complex 5/6, and Hangar C are behind the gates of the military installation. Admission is through certified tours.
The Sands Space History Center, which is located near the north side of the Port Canaveral Canal at 100 Spaceport Way, just outside the south gate of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This museum offers free entry and is easily accessible to the general public.
For the latest news from the 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 atRneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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