SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre at 8:02:56pm EDT (4:02:56am UAE time on Thursday) to become the first space flight in the world to take an all-civilian crew mission to orbit.
Inspiration4 Commander, US billionaire Jared Isaacman, said moments before the flight: “Our crew carries the responsibility and importance of this mission as we prepare to blast off.
“We have been well-prepared for the challenges ahead of us the next three days and look forward to sharing our experience with the world as we continue to bring attention to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital here on earth.”
Apart from Isaacman, the flight includes two contest winners and a health care worker.
Since the mission’s announcement in March 2021, the Inspiration4 crew has spent the past six months completing a wide range of training activities including centrifuge training, Dragon simulations, observations of other launch operations, Zero-G plane training, altitude training and additional classroom, simulation and medical testing. This intensive, focused preparation was essential to helping four diverse strangers grow into their new roles as the first all-civilian astronaut crew to orbit Earth.
The crew’s collective goal has not only been to fly to space but also make a significant contribution in the fight to cure childhood cancer back on Earth. Started by an initial USD100 million gift from Isaacman to St. Jude, Inspiration4 has a fundraising goal to raise USD200 million through February 2022 to help accelerate research advancements and save more children worldwide. To date, the mission has a commitment of more than USD130 million with new auction items and ways to support being shared during and after the mission.
“We are thankful to Jared for his incredible leadership as the commander of the historic mission and for his work helping to raise USD200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Richard C Shadyac Jr, President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organisation for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“The significance of Inspiration4 cannot be overstated. The mission ushers in a new era in citizen space travel and gives hope to children. Cancer is diagnosed each year in about 400,000 children worldwide. Curing catastrophic diseases in children is a multi-trillion-dollar, multi-year problem and the public’s support – through initiatives like Inspiration4 – makes it possible for us to raise the critical funds needed to help save children everywhere.”
The Inspiration4 mission marks several historic milestones for human space exploration. They will be the first all-civilian crew to orbit Earth, the first free-flight Crew Dragon mission, and the first orbital human spaceflight mission that will not dock with a space station since the final Hubble mission on STS-125 in 2009.
Inspiration4 is being monitored at every step by SpaceX mission control as the spacecraft orbits the planet every 90 minutes along a custom flight path. The crew is targeting an approximate 575 km orbit, flying farther than any human since Hubble, for an expected mission duration of approximately three days.
“The all-civilian Inspiration4 astronauts are paving the way for a future where space is more accessible to all who wish to go, and we are so proud that they entrusted us to fly them,” said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell.
“On behalf of all SpaceX employees, I want to thank the crew and their families for allowing us to be a part of their historic mission.”
After an approximately three-day journey, the Inspiration4 team will return to the Earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida.
