The first all-civilian space mission courtesy of SpaceX will be a historic feat, and just like the Elon Musk-led company’s previous landmark launch events, this one will be streamed live as well. Christened Inspiration4, the mission is the brainchild of billionaire Jared Isaacman, founder of a payments processing company called Shift 4. The first space flight without a certified astronaut from an agency like NASA, the Inspiration4 mission will take off from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the same launch pad which was also used for the Apollo 11 mission that took man to the moon in 1969.
The four-person crew will be making the journey inside the Dragon capsule that has a capacity of seven and can deliver a payload of approximately 6,000 kilograms. It will sit atop the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket that has already proven itself a reliable and powerful platform. In addition to ferrying civilians to space and back, the Inspiration4 mission’s payload will also include the first-ever minted NFT song to be played in orbit that has been created by Grammy Award-winning American rock band Kings of Leon. The payload also includes NFTs from 50 artists, 66 pounds of hops for brewing an out-of-this-world beer, a commemorative space pen and coin set, and a ukelele that one of the crew members will play in space.
The official SpaceX YouTube channel will be live streaming the launch, and a link has been embedded below. The space company — which is currently engaged in a public spat with rival Blue Origin — has set a five-hour launch window for the Inspiration4 mission which kicks off at 8:02 p.m. EDT. In case there are any last-minute issues, SpaceX has set aside a September 16 launch window that begins at 8:05 p.m. EDT. The latest mission press release mentions a 70 percent favorable weather situation for the momentous event.
A Historic Leap Forward For Space Travel
The Inspiration4 mission marks the first time that an all-civilian crew is going into space, but it is not just another space tour for billionaires. A key objective of the mission is to raise funds for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, with the goal being set at approximately $200 million. One of the crew members, Hayley Arceneaux, received treatment for cancer at the same hospital and had a prosthetic implanted in her legs following the surgery. With the Inspiration4 mission, she will actually be the youngest American, and also the first person with a prosthetic body part, to fly into space.
Isaacman, who is a seasoned pilot and will serve as the mission commander, has already committed $100 million to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of the fundraising campaign. Sian Proctor, a college professor who was once shortlisted for NASA’s astronaut program but didn’t make the final cut, will be flying aboard the Inspiration4 mission as the pilot. The fourth and final crew member is Chris Sembroski, an Air Force veteran who will be serving as the mission specialist for the round trip into space.
Source: Inspiration4