Matthew’s passion for commercial space exploration left a lasting impact on the space community. Below are just some of the ways his legacy has been celebrated, as well as quotes from those who knew Matthew.
Matthew’s Asteroid
On September 20, 2021, it was officially declared by an international organization that Asteroid 78867 is named after Matthew Isakowitz.
Asteroid 78867 was named in Matthew’s memory by the International Astronomical Union Working Group Small Bodies Nomenclature, the only recognized international organization that can officially name asteroids. The naming is thanks to the efforts and dedication of Dr. Alan Stern, who first met Matthew when he was a summer intern working on the New Horizons Pluto mission. The asteroid was discovered by American astronomer M.W. Buie in August (Matthew’s birth month) in 2003. The naming is noted in the official WGSBN bulletin (Sept 20, 2021, Vol 1, #8, pg. 6): https://www.iau.org/static/publications/wgsbn-bulletins/wgsbn-bulletin-2108.pdf
“Matt was a truly amazing guy, so genuine and so promising, and a fantastic contributor to the exploration of space. He was the best intern we ever had on NASA New Horizons to Pluto, and had a huge impact at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation where he was a senior staffer.”
Matthew’s Pin in Space
A special memento flew to space with astronaut Sirisha Bandla.
During Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22 Mission to space on July 11, 2021, astronaut Sirisha Bandla brought a memento in honor of Matthew. Sirisha worked with Matthew at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation and helped spearhead the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program. As Sirisha noted in the post-flight press conference: “I brought a pin that was designed and made by Matthew Isakowitz. He worked at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, and was really an advocate for commercial spaceflight industry getting off the ground. He unfortunately passed away a few years ago and we started a fellowship in his honor for students to get into the commercial space industry and just get excited and contribute. So I brought a pin up which I will gift to his family.”
““Matt was a shining star. His unbridled enthusiasm and love for space exploration was infectious. He always reminded me how lucky we all are in the commercial space industry to pursue our dreams... For every step the commercial space industry takes into the final frontier, we will carry a piece of Matt with us.””
Astranis Satellite
Astranis, where Matthew was one of the earliest employees, honored Matthew with a dedicated plaque on one of its satellites.
“Matthew brought not just brilliance to his work but he had this incredible ability to connect with people. To get them to see what he saw. It’s an extremely rare quality in an engineer.”
Marathoning for Matthew
Dylan Dickstein went to great lengths (26.2 miles, to be exact!) to honor Matthew.
For his first marathon, 2018 Matthew Isakowitz Fellow Dylan Dickstein ran in honor of Matthew, raising funds for the Fellowship and wearing a special “Matthew Isakowitz Cosmic Contenders” jersey.
“Matthew was one of my graduate students in the International Science and Technology master’s degree program at George Washington University. He was a source of boundless energy, eagerly working toward the expansion of commercial space opportunities that he saw as imminent. As part of the program, students are required to do an independent study which is equivalent to a full semester class. When students ask to see past examples of independent research, I usually pull out Matthew’s outstanding analysis on the economics of using in-space resources. The mathematical modeling and detailed graphics are intimidating to some and not all students can (or should) do what he did, but the quality of the work and its infectious energy continue to set a high standard for graduate students of space policy.”
MIFP in Zero-G
Giving a shout-out to Matthew in a microgravity environment.
MIFP has been honored to partner with the Aurelia Institute to take part in its Horizon Zero Gravity Flight Program, which invites organizations dedicated to diversifying the space industry to join a zero-g research flight. Three alumni of the Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program have participated—Amy Huynh (Class of 2020) Cadence Payne (2020), and Halen Mattison (2021)—and donned patches or brought photos in honor of Matthew.
“Matt was an integral part of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation in its formative years and was instrumental in building the organization and expanding its reach. Matt continued to demonstrate his commitment to the space industry as he worked with a number of CSF members and eventually took his vast talents to the aerospace start-up world. Matt was incredibly bright, and his passion and commitment to further space will not be forgotten.”
Mars Desert Research Station Team
MIFP Alumni honored Matthew during a two-week mission to an analog Mars habitat in a remote area of Utah.
A team of six young professionals—including MIFP Alumni Fellows Alex Coultrup (2020), Dylan Dickstein (2018), Shravan Hariharan (2019), and Shayna Hume (2018)—undertook a two-week mission to an analog Mars habitat in a remote area of Utah, called the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). An analog astronaut mission is one which aims to mimic human space exploration for the goal of helping future astronauts avoid pitfalls the analog astronauts find along the way. Dylan Dickstein began assembling the team in 2019, and in 2021 they became MDRS Crew 245. Learn more about their mission here.
“Matthew reminds me of myself. Someone who, early in their life, identified space as their primary passion. Someone who was always asking how we can do more, go faster. It was because of Matthew and his passion that the XPRIZE actually got the attention of NASA, a sequence of events that led to the creation of NASA’s Centennial Challenges. Rather than choose the traditional path, Matthew lived the space entrepreneur’s dream.”
“Matthew’s incredible intelligence and determination were exceeded in magnitude only by his purity of heart, his kindness, respect, compassion, and love. He was one in a million, and what he accomplished in his life was worthy of a much longer one. ”