SpaceX is set to launch four people into space Wednesday on a three-day
mission that is the first to orbit the Earth with exclusively private
citizens on board.
Here are the key facts about Inspiration4.
The spacecraft
At the top of the Falcon 9 rocket, which is 70 meters high, sits the Dragon
capsule, where the crew will be.
This spacecraft has already taken 10 astronauts to the International Space
Station (ISS) on three separate missions.
The Dragon capsule, eight meters high and four meters wide, has been
modified for this flight. A huge glass dome has been installed to offer
passengers a 360-degree view of space.
The flight schedule
Take-off is scheduled on Wednesday beginning at 8:02 pm (0002 GMT Thursday)
from the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch window is five
hours.
The first stage will separate from the spacecraft at an altitude of about 80
kilometers and will automatically return to Earth for future use.
During manned flights, the second stage usually separates about ten minutes
after take-off.
The Dragon capsule will orbit Earth for three days at an altitude higher
than the ISS.
After that, it will descend back to Earth, landing off the coast of Florida
with the help of giant parachutes.
The crew
Heading and financing the mission is US billionaire Jared Isaacman, who
invited three other people to join him through an original selection
process.
Hayley Arceneaux, 29, is a nurse and a pediatric cancer survivor.
Chris Sembroski, 42, is a US Air Force veteran who now works in the aviation
industry.
Geology professor Sian Proctor, 51, was a finalist to become a NASA
astronaut more than a decade ago.
The training
The crew trained for just under six months, compared to years of preparation
required for professional astronauts.
They learned to withstand the g-force by going on a spin in a centrifuge,
and they experienced weightlessness.
Finally, although the flight should normally be fully automated, the team
has been trained by SpaceX to take control in the event of an emergency.
The research
The crew members' sleep, heart rate, blood and cognitive functions will be
analyzed during the mission in order to study how rookies react in space.
At a time when it is fashionable to bash billionaires I would like to express gratitude for Elon Musk and Jared Isaacman. The U.S. and the world need such men with the vision, thoughtfulness, and the brilliance that they have shown. The very future of humanity may depend upon such men.
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