16 Facts About Eytan Stibbe

Eytan Meir Stibbe is an Israeli former fighter pilot, businessman and commercial astronaut.

Eytan Stibbe grew up in the United States until the age of 7, when the family moved back to Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

Eytan Stibbe's father was a soil and water researcher at the Volcani Institute in Rehovot, and his mother was a social worker at a mental health clinic in Ramat Gan.

Eytan Stibbe studied at the Blich High School in Ramat Gan and was active in the Israeli Scouts movement.

In July 1976, Eytan Stibbe entered the Israeli Air Force's fighter pilot training course.

Eytan Stibbe first served as a Skyhawk pilot in Squadrons 102 and 140, then moved to Squadron 201 and continued on to become an F-16 pilot in Squadron 117.

Eytan Stibbe completed his military service in 1984 and continued to serve as a reservist in Squadron 117 until 2012.

In 1984, after his military service, Eytan Stibbe joined a team of advisers at Israel Aircraft Industries that was working on the development of systems for the Lavifighter jet.

In 2018, Eytan Stibbe left Mitrelli and sold all of his shares in the company.

Eytan Stibbe invests in enterprises whose goal is to improve the economic, personal and social wellbeing of low- and middle-income communities.

Eytan Stibbe is a member of the advisory committee of Bridges Israel, an impact investment fund that invests in Israeli businesses.

On 8 April 2022, Eytan Stibbe took off for the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral as a space tourist.

Eytan Stibbe became the second Israeli in space, after Ilan Ramon, who died onboard Columbia while returning from space.

Eytan Stibbe described his space tourism as the "Rakia" mission, which was the title of the book published with the fragments of the diary of his late commander, which survived reentry.

Eytan Stibbe flew to the ISS aboard SpaceX Axiom Space-1, paying for his own ticket to ride.

Eytan Stibbe was accompanying and demonstrating many Israeli technologies during this mission along with AstroRad a radiation protective vest from StemRad.