Billionaire Tycoon Eytan Stibbe spent two weeks in outer space at the International Space Station as part of the first all-private team
By Nosson Shulman: Licensed Tour Guide of VIP Israel Tours & Authentic Virtual Tours (click here to check out his free trailer videos)
In what is being hailed as a revolution in commercialized human spaceflight, four tycoons (including Israeli Eytan Stibbe) spent two weeks at the International Space Center (ISS), successfully returning to earth a few days ago. The SpaceX crew capsule (which carried the 4-man team), upon reentry parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean (off the coast of Florida) after a 16 hour descent from orbit.
The space mission was the first in world history to be privately bankrolled (not subsidized by tax dollars). The entire project (from training the crew to building the project) was paid for by Axiom, a private company contracted with NASA to build the first commercial addition to the ISS. The four individuals on the trip paid between 55-60 million dollars each for their seats abroad the space craft. With this successful trip, the company is hoping to offer private trips to space at least twice a year.
Eytan Stibbe (previously a fighter pilot, reaching the rank of Colonel, before becoming successful in the private sector) also set another milestone as the first Israeli to successfully return from space. He was not however the first Israeli in space, as that distinction belongs to Israeli war-hero Ilan Ramon, a fighter pilot responsible for bombing Iraq’s nuclear reactor in 1981 and then miraculously making it back to Israel alive against all odds. He was the commanding officer of Eytan Stibbe in the air force. On February 1, 2003 after (by all accounts) a successful 16 days in space, his spacecraft tragically disintegrated upon reentry, killing all 7 people abroad only 16 minutes before landing.
While in space, Eytan Stibbe conducted 35 science experiments, and even ate Matzah and gefilte fish to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passove
Nosson Shulman is a journalist and Licensed Tour Guide in Israel specializing in Biblical tours. To allow tourists to experience Israel during the Corona era, he created the new hit Israel tour video series which brings Israel to the home of viewers by simulating actual tours. To check out his free sneak preview tour videos, click here. To view sample tour itineraries or to inquire about private tour opportunities with a personalized itinerary on your next trip to Israel, click here.
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