Irving Pergament - Astronaut 029

Growing up in Israel, Irving Pergament kept his eyes on the skies. He can’t remember a time when he didn’t dream of flying and one day traveling to space. Now, as an astronaut aboard ‘Galactic 007,’ he has reached his lifelong goal. “My life is a blend of my love for my family, my professional success and philanthropy, and a continual chase after the thrill of flight, now reaching for the stars,” Irving says.

After moving to New York as a young man and becoming a real estate developer, Irving pursued his passion for aviation and became a certified airline transport pilot. He has been flying Learjets for more than 20 years and donates his time and aircraft to the northeast U.S. region of the Angel Flight organization, which provides free air transportation for children in need of life-saving medical care. Irving is also the benefactor of an educational program for underprivileged children at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, helping youth get accepted to top colleges and compete in the workforce.

Traveling to space aboard VSS Unity has been nothing short of amazing for Irving. “Flying has always been my passion,” he says, “and when I heard about Virgin Galactic’s spaceflights, my excitement skyrocketed as my childhood dream seemed within reach.” His spacesuit displays the Israel and USA flags.