WATCH: SpaceX rocket carrying Lehigh Valley billionaire Jared Isaacman visible over the region

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Early Tuesday, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who has a home in the Lehigh Valley, launched into space for a second time.

“Send us, SpaceX,” Isaacman said to the control room with about 30 seconds left in the countdown.

As part of a mission known as Polaris Dawn, Isaacman could’ve looked down and waved.

On its trajectory from launch at 5:23 a.m. EST, the rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It traveled along the eastern seaboard and was highly visible in many areas, including the Lehigh Valley.

The featured video was taken in East Greenville, a small borough off Route 100 in Montgomery County, not far from our area.

The Polaris Dawn mission is expected to mark a number of milestones for private spaceflight, including the first commercial spacewalk (a spacewalk not conducted by astronauts).

It’s also expected to be the farthest journey from Earth by anyone since NASA’s moon landings more than 50 years ago, reports said.

Who is Jared Isaacman?

Isaacman is the founder and chief executive officer of the Lehigh County-based payment processing company Shift4, which has its corporate headquarters in Center Valley.

He made headlines in 2021 as the commander of SpaceX’s first all-civilian spaceflight, a mission that was dubbed Inspiration4.

The Polaris Dawn launch originally was scheduled for Aug. 28, but was scrubbed.

Tuesday morning, Isaacman and his fellow astronauts boarded the spacecraft, but it initially was held on the ground.

The first launch opportunity, at 3:38 a.m., was skipped because of rain showers. But a few hours later, skies cleared and the launch took place.

Flying with Isaacman are Scott Poteet, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and pilot, and Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, both SpaceX engineers.

A spacewalk reportedly is scheduled for Thursday, the third day of the mission, though a time has not been announced.