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Inspiration4 was the first human spaceflight to [[low Earth orbit|orbit]] Earth with only private citizens on board.<ref name="wapo20210915"/>{{efn|name=All-civilian|Many sources use the term "all-civilian". [[The Washington Post]] clarified its use of this term in one of its headlines when it later said "{{sic|comprised |hide=y}} entirely of civilians – nongovernment astronauts".<ref name=wapo2021-09-15-01a>{{cite news |last1=Davenport|first1=Christian|title=SpaceX makes history by launching Inspiration4, first all-civilian crew, to orbit|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/15/spacex-launch-civilian-flight/ |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=16 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210916121803/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/15/spacex-launch-civilian-flight/|archive-date=16 September 2021|date=15 September 2021|url-status=live|quote=The Inspiration4 mission may be the first time a spaceflight crew is {{sic|comprised |hide=y|entirely}} of civilians – nongovernment astronauts. There has been a long history of ordinary citizens going to space. In fact, that was NASA's goal at the beginning of the space shuttle era – to fly regular people on a routine basis}}</ref>}} The trip promoted and raised money for [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]]. The crew and trip intended to raise upwards of US$100 million to expand St. Jude's childhood cancer research.<ref name="wapo20210225">{{cite news|title=As private companies erode government's hold on space travel, NASA looks to open a new frontier |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/25/nasa-space-future-private/|newspaper=The Washington Post|last=Davenport|first=Christian|date=25 February 2021|access-date=26 February 2021}}</ref><ref name="NBCfeb21"/><ref name="nsf20210201"/> Isaacman and his wife, Monica, personally donated US$125 million to the hospital, and contributions by SpaceX founder Elon Musk (US$55 million) and many others ultimately raised the total given to St. Jude to more than US$243 million, far more than initial target amount.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://time.com/6147411/spacex-inspiration-flight-raised-243m-for-st-jude/|title=SpaceX Flight Ultimately Raised $243M for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital|access-date=13 February 2022|archive-date=12 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312202748/https://time.com/6147411/spacex-inspiration-flight-raised-243m-for-st-jude/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Inspiration4 was the first human spaceflight to [[low Earth orbit|orbit]] Earth with only private citizens on board.<ref name="wapo20210915"/>{{efn|name=All-civilian|Many sources use the term "all-civilian". [[The Washington Post]] clarified its use of this term in one of its headlines when it later said "{{sic|comprised |hide=y}} entirely of civilians – nongovernment astronauts".<ref name=wapo2021-09-15-01a>{{cite news |last1=Davenport|first1=Christian|title=SpaceX makes history by launching Inspiration4, first all-civilian crew, to orbit|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/15/spacex-launch-civilian-flight/ |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=16 September 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210916121803/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/15/spacex-launch-civilian-flight/|archive-date=16 September 2021|date=15 September 2021|url-status=live|quote=The Inspiration4 mission may be the first time a spaceflight crew is {{sic|comprised |hide=y|entirely}} of civilians – nongovernment astronauts. There has been a long history of ordinary citizens going to space. In fact, that was NASA's goal at the beginning of the space shuttle era – to fly regular people on a routine basis}}</ref>}} The trip promoted and raised money for [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]]. The crew and trip intended to raise upwards of US$100 million to expand St. Jude's childhood cancer research.<ref name="wapo20210225">{{cite news|title=As private companies erode government's hold on space travel, NASA looks to open a new frontier |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/25/nasa-space-future-private/|newspaper=The Washington Post|last=Davenport|first=Christian|date=25 February 2021|access-date=26 February 2021}}</ref><ref name="NBCfeb21"/><ref name="nsf20210201"/> Isaacman and his wife, Monica, personally donated US$125 million to the hospital, and contributions by SpaceX founder Elon Musk (US$55 million) and many others ultimately raised the total given to St. Jude to more than US$243 million, far more than initial target amount.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://time.com/6147411/spacex-inspiration-flight-raised-243m-for-st-jude/|title=SpaceX Flight Ultimately Raised $243M for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital|access-date=13 February 2022|archive-date=12 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312202748/https://time.com/6147411/spacex-inspiration-flight-raised-243m-for-st-jude/|url-status=dead}}</ref>


Inspiration4 was led by [[Shift4 Payments]] CEO [[Jared Isaacman]], an experienced pilot with qualification in military jets.<ref name="fcompany20150413"/><ref name="forbes20201007"/> Isaacman procured the flight and its four seats from [[SpaceX]] and donated two of the seats to St. Jude. [[Hayley Arceneaux]], a [[physician assistant]] at the hospital and a survivor of [[bone cancer]], was selected by the hospital to board the flight.<ref name="APfeb21"/> St. Jude raffled the second seat as part of a successful campaign to raise US$200 million for the hospital, termed ''St. Jude Mission: Inspired''.<ref name="HouChrFEB21"/><ref>{{cite press release|title=New fundraising challenge tied to Inspiration4 launches today for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital|url=https://www.stjude.org/media-resources/news-releases/2021-fundraising-news/new-fundraising-challenge-for-inspiration4.html|access-date=16 September 2021|publisher=St. Jude Children's Research Hospital|date=1 March 2021}}</ref> A raffle draw competition was held, in which entrants needed to be a US citizen and had to donate a significant amount of money between US$10 to US$10,000. Kyle Hippchen, from [[Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University]], donated US$600 and ultimately won the raffle but decided to give the seat to his friend, [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] veteran [[Christopher Sembroski]], who had also entered the raffle by donating US$50, due to being over the allowed weight limit.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dunn |first=Marcia |url=https://apnews.com/article/spacex-science-business-florida-baa1d7e0be43b95044535af7e7e63c88 |title=He won a trip to space. Then he gave it away to a friend |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=27 January 2022 |access-date=28 January 2022}}</ref><ref name="sembroski-1">{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/everetts-own-spaceman-thrilled-to-join-all-civilian-mission/|title=Everett's own spaceman thrilled to join all-civilian mission|last=Muhlstein|first=Julie|newspaper=The Everett Herald|date=18 April 2021|access-date=23 April 2021}}</ref><ref name="sembroski-2">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/space/spacex-launch-2021-space-dragon-b1825974.html|title=SpaceX reveals civilian passengers for trip into space this year|last=Cuthbertson|first=Anthony|newspaper=The Independent|date=2 April 2021|access-date=3 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sheetz|first1=Michael|title=SpaceX's historic Inspiration4 launch reaches orbit successfully carrying private crew|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/watch-spacex-inspiration4-launch-live-updates.html|access-date=16 September 2021|publisher=CNBC|date=15 September 2021}}</ref> Entrepreneur [[Sian Proctor]] was selected by Shift4 Payments to board the flight through a competition modeled after ''[[Shark Tank]]'' that rewarded the best business idea to make use of Shift4's commerce solutions.<ref name="NYTfeb21"/> The panelists in the competition included [[Salesforce]] CEO [[Marc Benioff]], ''[[Fast Company]]'' editor Stephanie Mehta, former NASA engineer [[Mark Rober]] and ''[[Bar Rescue]]'' host [[Jon Taffer]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005339/en/Inspiration4-Reveals-Panel-of-Influential-Judges-to-Select-Entrepreneur-to-Join-First-All-Civilian-Mission-to-Space|title=Inspiration4 Reveals Panel of Influential Judges to Select Entrepreneur to Join First All-Civilian Mission to Space|last=Bianco|first=Brian|publisher=Business Wire|date=24 February 2021|access-date=24 February 2021}}</ref>
Inspiration4 was led by [[Shift4 Payments]] CEO [[Jared Isaacman]], an experienced pilot with qualification in military jets.<ref name="fcompany20150413"/><ref name="forbes20201007"/> Isaacman procured the flight and its four seats from [[SpaceX]] and donated two of the seats to St. Jude. [[Hayley Arceneaux]], a [[physician assistant]] at the hospital and a survivor of [[bone cancer]], was selected by the hospital to board the flight.<ref name="APfeb21"/> St. Jude raffled the second seat as part of a successful campaign to raise US$200 million for the hospital, termed ''St. Jude Mission: Inspired''.<ref name="HouChrFEB21"/><ref>{{cite press release|title=New fundraising challenge tied to Inspiration4 launches today for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital|url=https://www.stjude.org/media-resources/news-releases/2021-fundraising-news/new-fundraising-challenge-for-inspiration4.html|access-date=16 September 2021|publisher=St. Jude Children's Research Hospital|date=1 March 2021}}</ref> A raffle draw competition was held, in which entrants needed to be a US citizen and had to donate a significant amount of money between US$10 to US$10,000. Kyle Hippchen, from [[Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University]], donated US$600 and ultimately won the raffle but decided to give the seat to his friend, [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] veteran [[Christopher Sembroski]], who had also entered the raffle by donating US$50. Mr. Hippchen weighed in over the allowed limit.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dunn |first=Marcia |url=https://apnews.com/article/spacex-science-business-florida-baa1d7e0be43b95044535af7e7e63c88 |title=He won a trip to space. Then he gave it away to a friend |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=27 January 2022 |access-date=28 January 2022}}</ref><ref name="sembroski-1">{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/everetts-own-spaceman-thrilled-to-join-all-civilian-mission/|title=Everett's own spaceman thrilled to join all-civilian mission|last=Muhlstein|first=Julie|newspaper=The Everett Herald|date=18 April 2021|access-date=23 April 2021}}</ref><ref name="sembroski-2">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/space/spacex-launch-2021-space-dragon-b1825974.html|title=SpaceX reveals civilian passengers for trip into space this year|last=Cuthbertson|first=Anthony|newspaper=The Independent|date=2 April 2021|access-date=3 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sheetz|first1=Michael|title=SpaceX's historic Inspiration4 launch reaches orbit successfully carrying private crew|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/watch-spacex-inspiration4-launch-live-updates.html|access-date=16 September 2021|publisher=CNBC|date=15 September 2021}}</ref> Entrepreneur [[Sian Proctor]] was selected by Shift4 Payments to board the flight through a competition modeled after ''[[Shark Tank]]'' that rewarded the best business idea to make use of Shift4's commerce solutions.<ref name="NYTfeb21"/> The panelists in the competition included [[Salesforce]] CEO [[Marc Benioff]], ''[[Fast Company]]'' editor Stephanie Mehta, former NASA engineer [[Mark Rober]] and ''[[Bar Rescue]]'' host [[Jon Taffer]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005339/en/Inspiration4-Reveals-Panel-of-Influential-Judges-to-Select-Entrepreneur-to-Join-First-All-Civilian-Mission-to-Space|title=Inspiration4 Reveals Panel of Influential Judges to Select Entrepreneur to Join First All-Civilian Mission to Space|last=Bianco|first=Brian|publisher=Business Wire|date=24 February 2021|access-date=24 February 2021}}</ref>


''Resilience'' was the first spacecraft to orbit with an all-rookie crew since [[Shenzhou 7]] in 2008. The last time [[NASA]] launched an all-rookie orbital crew was [[STS-2]] in 1981.{{Efn|STS-2 Commander [[Joe Engle]] was a NASA space flight rookie, but had been awarded [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] Astronaut wings for passing {{cvt|50|mi}} while flying the [[North American X-15|X-15]] [[Rocket-powered aircraft|rocket plane]].}}
''Resilience'' was the first spacecraft to orbit with an all-rookie crew since [[Shenzhou 7]] in 2008. The last time [[NASA]] launched an all-rookie orbital crew was [[STS-2]] in 1981.{{Efn|STS-2 Commander [[Joe Engle]] was a NASA space flight rookie, but had been awarded [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] Astronaut wings for passing {{cvt|50|mi}} while flying the [[North American X-15|X-15]] [[Rocket-powered aircraft|rocket plane]].}}


All four received commercial astronaut training by SpaceX. The training included lessons in orbital mechanics, operating in a microgravity environment, stress testing, emergency-preparedness training and mission simulations.<ref name="NYTfeb21">{{cite web|title=To Get on This SpaceX Flight, You Don't Have to Be Rich, Just Lucky|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/science/spacex-jared-isaacman.html |last=Chang|first=Kenneth|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201222557if_/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/science/spacex-jared-isaacman.html |archive-date=1 February 2021|date=1 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/valeriestimac/2021/02/01/spacex-announces-first-all-civilian-mission-to-space-inspiration4/?sh=2f0fdae71cf7|title=SpaceX Announces First All-Civilian Mission To Space, Inspiration4|last1=Stimac|first1=Valerie|work=Forbes|date=1 February 2021|access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref> Afterwards, on 25 September 2021, [[CNN]] reported that an alarm had sounded during the journey, and was found to be associated with an apparent toilet malfunction.<ref name="CNN-20210925">{{cite news |last=Wattles |first=Jackie |title=An alarm went off on SpaceX's all-tourist space flight. The problem was the toilet |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/25/tech/spacex-toilet-waste-management-system-scn/index.html |date=25 September 2021 |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=25 September 2021 }}</ref>
All four received commercial astronaut training by SpaceX. The training included lessons in orbital mechanics, operating in a microgravity environment, stress testing, emergency-preparedness training and mission simulations.<ref name="NYTfeb21">{{cite web|title=To Get on This SpaceX Flight, You Don't Have to Be Rich, Just Lucky|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/science/spacex-jared-isaacman.html |last=Chang|first=Kenneth|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201222557if_/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/science/spacex-jared-isaacman.html |archive-date=1 February 2021|date=1 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/valeriestimac/2021/02/01/spacex-announces-first-all-civilian-mission-to-space-inspiration4/?sh=2f0fdae71cf7|title=SpaceX Announces First All-Civilian Mission To Space, Inspiration4|last1=Stimac|first1=Valerie|work=Forbes|date=1 February 2021|access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref> Afterwards, on 25 September 2021, [[CNN]] reported that an alarm had sounded during the journey which was found to be associated with an apparent toilet malfunction.<ref name="CNN-20210925">{{cite news |last=Wattles |first=Jackie |title=An alarm went off on SpaceX's all-tourist space flight. The problem was the toilet |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/25/tech/spacex-toilet-waste-management-system-scn/index.html |date=25 September 2021 |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=25 September 2021 }}</ref>


{{Spaceflight crew
{{Spaceflight crew

Revision as of 15:16, 26 April 2023

Inspiration4
Launch of Inspiration4 on a Falcon 9
Mission typePrivate spaceflight
OperatorSpaceX
COSPAR ID2021-084A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.49220
Websiteinspiration4.com Edit this at Wikidata
Mission duration
  • 2 days, 23 hours, 3 minutes
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCrew Dragon Resilience
ManufacturerSpaceX
Launch mass12,519 kg (27,600 lb)
Landing mass9,616 kg (21,200 lb)
Crew
Members
Start of mission
Launch date16 September 2021, 00:02:56 UTC
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 (B1062.3)
Launch siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39A
ContractorSpaceX
End of mission
Recovered byGO Searcher
Landing date18 September 2021, 23:06:49 UTC [1]
Landing siteAtlantic Ocean
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit[2]
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Altitude585 km (364 mi)
Inclination51.6°
Period96.2 minutes
Inspiration4 spaceflight participant mission patch SpaceX mission patch
Inspiration4 mission patches (SpaceX patch on right)

Proctor, Isaacman, Sembroski and Arceneaux

Inspiration4 (stylized as Inspirati④n) was a 2021 human spaceflight operated by SpaceX on behalf of Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman.[3] The mission launched the Crew Dragon Resilience on 16 September 2021 at 00:02:56 UTC[a] from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A atop a Falcon 9 launch vehicle. It placed the Dragon capsule into low Earth orbit[4] with mission termination on 18 September 2021 at 23:06:49 UTC[4] when Resilience splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean.

The trip was the first orbital spaceflight with only private citizens aboard and was part of a charitable effort on behalf of St. Jude's in Memphis, Tennessee.[3] Isaacman was named mission commander. The hospital selected two commercial astronauts: Hayley Arceneaux and Christopher Sembroski. Shift4 selected Sian Proctor who was named pilot.

The mission overlapped with the 55th anniversary of Gemini 11, which in September 1966 had an apogee of approximately 1,368 km (850 mi), the highest Earth orbit ever reached on a crewed flight. The Inspiration4 flight reached an orbital altitude of approximately 585 km (364 mi), the highest achieved since STS-103 in 1999 and the fifth-highest Earth orbital human spaceflight overall. By comparison, the International Space Station is at 408 km (254 mi). The Inspiration4 mission concluded with the first crewed splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean since Apollo 9 in 1969.

Trip and crew

Inspiration4 was the first human spaceflight to orbit Earth with only private citizens on board.[5][b] The trip promoted and raised money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The crew and trip intended to raise upwards of US$100 million to expand St. Jude's childhood cancer research.[7][8][9] Isaacman and his wife, Monica, personally donated US$125 million to the hospital, and contributions by SpaceX founder Elon Musk (US$55 million) and many others ultimately raised the total given to St. Jude to more than US$243 million, far more than initial target amount.[10]

Inspiration4 was led by Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman, an experienced pilot with qualification in military jets.[11][12] Isaacman procured the flight and its four seats from SpaceX and donated two of the seats to St. Jude. Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at the hospital and a survivor of bone cancer, was selected by the hospital to board the flight.[13] St. Jude raffled the second seat as part of a successful campaign to raise US$200 million for the hospital, termed St. Jude Mission: Inspired.[14][15] A raffle draw competition was held, in which entrants needed to be a US citizen and had to donate a significant amount of money between US$10 to US$10,000. Kyle Hippchen, from Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, donated US$600 and ultimately won the raffle but decided to give the seat to his friend, U.S. Air Force veteran Christopher Sembroski, who had also entered the raffle by donating US$50. Mr. Hippchen weighed in over the allowed limit.[16][17][18][19] Entrepreneur Sian Proctor was selected by Shift4 Payments to board the flight through a competition modeled after Shark Tank that rewarded the best business idea to make use of Shift4's commerce solutions.[20] The panelists in the competition included Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Fast Company editor Stephanie Mehta, former NASA engineer Mark Rober and Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer.[21]

Resilience was the first spacecraft to orbit with an all-rookie crew since Shenzhou 7 in 2008. The last time NASA launched an all-rookie orbital crew was STS-2 in 1981.[c]

All four received commercial astronaut training by SpaceX. The training included lessons in orbital mechanics, operating in a microgravity environment, stress testing, emergency-preparedness training and mission simulations.[20][22] Afterwards, on 25 September 2021, CNN reported that an alarm had sounded during the journey which was found to be associated with an apparent toilet malfunction.[23]

Position Commercial Astronauts
Mission Commander United States Jared Isaacman[14] "Rook"
First spaceflight
Pilot United States Sian Proctor[24] "Leo"
First spaceflight
Medical Officer United States Hayley Arceneaux[13] "Nova"
First spaceflight
Payload Specialist United States Christopher Sembroski[24] "Hanks"
First spaceflight

Spacecraft

Artist's rendering of Resilience for Inspiration4, with its nose cone open, revealing the cupola

The Inspiration4 mission was the second flight of Resilience, following its use for Crew-1.[20][25] It also marked the fourth crewed flight of a Crew Dragon.[26] The spacecraft's docking adapter, normally used to dock with the International Space Station, was replaced for this mission by a single monolithic multi-layer domed plexiglass[27] window inspired by the Cupola module, allowing 360° views outside Resilience's nose from space.[28] The cupola was protected during launch and re-entry by the spacecraft's retractable nosecone, which also housed a custom camera enabling photography of the vehicle's interior and exterior during flight.[29] The cupola is removable so that Resilience can easily be reconfigured for missions in the future that require docking.[29] Four Draco thrusters located on the spacecraft's nose necessitated the installation of four heat shield tiles on the cupola's exterior, which protected the plexiglass dome from engine exhaust during propulsive maneuvers.[29]

Flight

The launch of Inspiration4

Resilience launched on 16 September 2021 at 00:02:56 UTC (15 September 2021 at 20:02:56 EDT)[30] atop Falcon 9 Block 5 booster B1062 from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A. It was the third flight of this booster.[31] The spacecraft was launched into an inclination of 51.6°. With Resilience in orbit, three Dragon spacecraft were simultaneously orbiting Earth, as Endeavour flies the Crew-2 mission and C208 flies the CRS-23 mission. Inspiration4 was the first crewed orbital spaceflight since STS-125 in 2009 to not visit a space station.[32]

Each crew member was assigned an individual call sign for communications. Isaacman's call sign was "Rook", Proctor's was "Leo", Arceneaux's was "Nova" and Sembroski's was "Hanks."[33]

As the second stage engine of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket cut off, Arceneaux reached into a pouch strapped to her leg and pulled out a plush toy dog that represents the therapy dogs employed by St. Jude. The toy, attached to a tether, began to float above Arceneaux's head and in doing so fulfilled its purpose as the Inspiration4 mission's "zero-g indicator". Hanging in the air, it provided a visual signal to Arceneaux and her three crewmates that they were now in the microgravity environment of outer space after reaching Earth orbit on 16 September 2021.[34]

The mission planned to include ultrasounds, microbe samples and a variety of in-flight health experiments (measure fluid shifts, record ECG activity, blood oxygen levels, heart rates, etc.) on the human bodies of ordinary citizens who have not been previously carefully screened and exhaustively trained as professional astronauts.[35] The study of the effects of spaceflight on human health and performance was done in collaboration with SpaceX, the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) at Baylor College of Medicine and investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine.[36] During the journey, an alarm had sounded, and was found to be associated with an apparent toilet malfunction.[23]

On 18 September 2021, at 23:06:49 UTC, Resilience splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Canaveral and was picked up by recovery ship GO Searcher roughly forty minutes afterward. Arceneaux was first to exit the spacecraft, followed by Proctor, Sembroski and Isaacman.[37]

Orbital altitude

External videos
Launch and splashdown of the Inspiration4 mission on YouTube
video icon Inspiration4 | Launch
video icon Splashdown

The flight plan aimed for an altitude of at least 575 km (357 mi), and reached an altitude of 585 km (364 mi),[38] a height surpassing STS-48 in 1991 which had an apogee of 580 km (360 mi), and the highest crewed spaceflight since STS-103 in 1999 with an apogee of 610 km (380 mi). STS-31, the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, at 615 km (382 mi) was the highest of the Space Shuttle program and third highest ever behind only two missions of the Gemini Program, Gemini 10 and Gemini 11 in 1966 with apogees of 756 km (470 mi) and 1,368 km (850 mi), respectively, making Inspiration4 the fifth highest Earth orbital crewed spaceflight in history; only 10 Apollo launches went beyond Earth's orbit. Achieving this altitude exposed the craft and crew to different radiation levels than those found on the International Space Station.[5] The investigation of the effects of spaceflight on human health and performance was done in collaboration with SpaceX, the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) at Baylor College of Medicine, and investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine.[36]

Inspiration4 orbited at this altitude for two days and then lowered its altitude to about 365 km (227 mi) which it kept during the final day of the mission, in preparation for the re-entry and landing.[39]

Media coverage

Media coverage of the mission has been widely positive, noting its charitable focus, duration and altitude achieved.[40][41] The mission was documented as it happened in a five-episode docuseries entitled Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, released on the subscription streaming service Netflix in September 2021.[42]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 15 September 2021, 20:02:56 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
  2. ^ Many sources use the term "all-civilian". The Washington Post clarified its use of this term in one of its headlines when it later said "comprised entirely of civilians – nongovernment astronauts".[6]
  3. ^ STS-2 Commander Joe Engle was a NASA space flight rookie, but had been awarded U.S. Air Force Astronaut wings for passing 50 mi (80 km) while flying the X-15 rocket plane.

References

  1. ^ "JSR No. 797". Jonathan's Space Report. 18 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  2. ^ Inspiration4 (30 March 2021). Meet The First All-Civilian Space Crew | Inspiration4 Livestream. Retrieved 30 March 2021 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b Overbye, Dennis (21 September 2021). "What a Fungus Reveals About the Space Program - One thing's for sure: Escaping the dung heap doesn't come cheap". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b Gorman, Steve (13 September 2021). "SpaceX prepares to send first all-civilian crew into orbit". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b Davenport, Christian (13 September 2021). "They "could be our neighbors", and they're going to space. SpaceX gets ready to fly the Inspiration4 crew". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  6. ^ Davenport, Christian (15 September 2021). "SpaceX makes history by launching Inspiration4, first all-civilian crew, to orbit". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021. The Inspiration4 mission may be the first time a spaceflight crew is comprised entirely of civilians – nongovernment astronauts. There has been a long history of ordinary citizens going to space. In fact, that was NASA's goal at the beginning of the space shuttle era – to fly regular people on a routine basis
  7. ^ Davenport, Christian (25 February 2021). "As private companies erode government's hold on space travel, NASA looks to open a new frontier". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  8. ^ Chow, Denise (1 February 2021). "SpaceX announces first mission to space with all-civilian crew". NBC News. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  9. ^ Burghardt, Thomas (1 February 2021). "SpaceX announces Inspiration4, all-civilian space mission in support of St Jude's Hospital". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  10. ^ "SpaceX Flight Ultimately Raised $243M for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital". Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  11. ^ Segran, Elizabeth (13 April 2015). "Meet The Fighter-Jet-Flying 32-Year-Old On Top Of The Payments Industry". Fast Company. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
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