SpaceX is preparing to launch the Inspiration4 mission on September 15, it will be the first all-civilian crew to orbit Earth. They will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex-39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. “Inspiration4’s goal is to inspire humanity to support St. Jude [Children’s Research Hospital] here on Earth while also seeing new possibilities for human spaceflight,” said Shift4Payments founder Jared Isaacman, who funded the civilian mission. Each crewmember will embody one of humanity’s best traits, Isaacman will represent ‘Leadership’ as Inspiration4 mission commander.
Former St. Jude patient Hayley Arceneaux will embody 'Hope', she survived bone cancer as a kid and now works as a physician assistant in the St. Jude’s oncology unit, will serve as medical chief during the space tour. The other two crew members geoscience professor Dr. Sian Proctor, embodies ‘Prosperity’ for successfully using her entrepreneurial skills to raise funds for St. Jude; And former Air Force member data engineer Chris Sembroski will embody ‘Generosity’ for donating to St. Jude. “Each of these outstanding crew members embodies the best of humanity, and I am humbled to lead them on this historic and purposeful mission and the adventure of a lifetime,” he said. TIME is producing a Netflix documentary series about their space adventure that will be streamed in near real-time that is scheduled to premiere on September 6, called Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space. Netflix released the series trailer this week, video linked below. Isaacman man said all revenue generated from the series will be donated to St. Jude.
4 civilians. Orbiting earth. On their own.
— Netflix (@netflix) August 19, 2021
You're invited to join @rookisaacman @DrSianProctor @ArceneauxHayley & @ChrisSembroski on the journey of a lifetime in Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space. Starting September 6. pic.twitter.com/1VcO5bdzHj
Isaacman shared that they will launch to space aboard a previously-flown Falcon 9 rocket and spacecraft. The Crew Dragon that will support the Inspiration4 mission is the same vehicle that launched SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, called Resilience. Crew Dragon Resilience returned the astronauts back to Earth in April and is now undergoing preparations for its second flight. SpaceX said the spacecraft will be modified with a dome window addition to provide the crew with incredible 360-views in space while they orbit Earth for three days.
This week, Isaacman shared that SpaceX already installed a 360-view cupola window on the Crew Dragon spacecraft they will ride. “We have been tracking it from beginning..Design & testing in Hawthorne..to the systems & training procedures..to the flight-ready hardware that shipped to KSC,” Isaacman said, “A few weeks [ago] in clean room we saw fully assembled module w/[with] cupola installed on Dragon. SpaceX is an incredible company,” he wrote via Twitter on August 16. The cupola window was added at the top of the capsule where the Space Station docking port is located. The new window will provide the civilian crew with 360-degree-views of space while they cruise at a 540-kilometer altitude above our planet. “I suspect we will be taking quite a few pictures on orbit with fixed cameras and our floater cam. I imagine the first on-orbit live media event will provide some great footage,” Isaacman said. If you would like to support Inspiration4 fundraiser campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and potentially win a personalized message from the Inspiration4 crew in space visit: St. Jude Mission Inspired Information.
We have been tracking it from beginning..Design & testing in Hawthorne..to the systems & training procedures..to the flight-ready hardware that shipped to KSC. A few weeks in clean room we saw fully assembled module w/ cupola installed on Dragon. @SpaceX is an incredible company.
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) August 16, 2021
Inspiration4 Commander Shares SpaceX Already Installed A 'Cupola' Window On The Crew Dragon They Will Ride 🐉
— Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo (@JaneidyEve) August 22, 2021
by @JaneidyEve via @Tesmanian_comhttps://t.co/hCImds67jR
Featured Image Source: SpaceX
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.
