In Autumn this year, SpaceX will launch the Inspiration4 mission that will propel the first all-civilian crew to space. They will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center atop a Falcon 9 rocket aboard the Crew Dragon spaceflight. The Inspiration4 flight is funded by Shift4Payments founder Jared Isaacman who wanted to make his spaceflight truly special -Inspiration4 is a massive $200-million-dollar fundraiser effort for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Isaacman donated $100 million, and will raffle off a seat aboard Dragon to the general public who can participate by making a donation. Three civilians will embark on a voyage to space alongside Isaacman. They will train like astronauts to prepare for a multi-day trip to orbit our beautiful planet.
Felix Gatfield, a 12-year-old who has an awesome YouTube channel called “Felix’s Space Time,” got an exclusive interview with Inspiration4 crewmembers, video shown below. Each crew member will embody an inspirational trait: Leadership, Hope, Generosity, and Prosperity. Isaacman will represent ‘Leadership’ and the second Inspiration4 crew member who embodies ‘Hope’ was revealed this week, and the soon to be teenager got the exclusive reveal on his YouTube channel. Hayley Arceneaux a former St. Jude patient who survived childhood cancer will live a space adventure and become the youngest American to ever go to space at just 29-years-old. The member to represent 'Generosity' will be chosen during a raffle on February 28, it will be someone who donated to St. Jude via Inspiration4.com. The civilian who will represent ‘Prosperity’ will be an entrepreneur who opened an online business via Shift4Shop and participates in a video contest; they will be selected until mid-March.
You are the man Felix. Thanks for the great interview. You are going to always get the inside scoop on @inspiration4x
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) February 22, 2021
During the great interview with ‘Felix’s Space Time,’ Isaacman shared they have not started astronaut training yet, until the other two crew members are selected. He shared they will train in SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft simulators, “…Every possible scenario we get trained in a simulator here on Earth,” Isaacman told Felix. Arceneaux shared her experience with fighting cancer as a child, “I was 10 years old…was treated at St. Jude… had a year of chemotherapy. And I think, personally, from what I’ve learned through my life is to expect the unexpected and go with it, just try to keep a positive attitude,” she told Felix, “Because I think having a positive attitude will really get you through anything.” Felix asked a series of interesting questions, you can watch his full interview in the video linked below. –“You are the man Felix. Thanks for the great interview. You are going to always get the inside scoop on Inspiration4,” Isaacman told him via Twitter. Subscribe to his YouTube channel, Felix's Space Time!
*Author’s Note - Find me on my new Twitter: Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
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Featured Image Source: Felix's Space Time via YouTube
About the Author
Evelyn Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
