MISSION NAME
Inspiration4 4
Status
Success
DATE
16 SEP 2021
LAUNCH PROVIDER
SpaceX
Launch Pad
Launch Complex 39A
Description
Inspiration4 is the world’s first all-commercial astronaut mission to orbit. Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, is donating the three seats alongside him aboard Dragon to individuals from the general public - Medical Officer Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and pediatric cancer survivor; Mission Specialist Chris Sembroski, an Air Force veteran and aerospace data engineer; and Mission Pilot Dr. Sian Proctor, a geoscientist, entrepreneur, and trained pilot. The Inspiration4 crew received commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, orbital mechanics, operating in microgravity, zero gravity, and other forms of stress testing. They will go through emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial and full mission simulations. The Crew Dragon spacecraft will remain in a 575 km high orbit for three days before reentering Earth's atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida. During their multi-day journey in orbit, the Inspiration4 crew will conduct scientific research designed to advance human health on Earth and during future long-duration spaceflights. For this mission, Crew Dragon is configured to feature an observation dome in place of docking port to provide views to the crew.
Falcon 9 Block 5
Rocket Description
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.