It’s going to be a late night for the first all-civilian space crew
launching from Florida’s coast this week.
After weeks of waiting the Inspiration4 mission liftoff window was revealed
Sunday. SpaceX will attempt to launch the four non-professional astronauts
on a Falcon 9 rocket sometime during a five-hour launch window that opens
Wednesday at 8:02 p.m.
“Teams selected the five-hour launch window based upon weather forecasts for
the launch site, along the ascent corridor, and possible landing locations
off the coasts of Florida for a safe return of the crew and splashdown a few
days later,” according to a news release.
After lifting off from Kennedy Space Center, the crew will orbit Earth for
three days in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.
On Sunday, SpaceX rolled the rocket and spacecraft out to launchpad 39A.
SpaceX and the Inspiration4 team were also conducting a full rehearsal of
launch day activities Sunday night. Next, the company is expected to
test-fire the rocket’s nine Merlin engines sometime overnight into Monday
morning.
Elon Musk’s private space company was charted by billionaire businessman
Jared Isaacman to launch the Inspiration4 mission. Three other civilians
joining Isaacman just learned of their spaceflight less than a year ago,
including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital physician Hayley Arcenauex,
college geology professor Dr. Sian Proctor and aerospace engineer Chris
Sembroski.
While Arcenauex was chosen by her employer after Isaacman approached the
research hospital about a fundraising effort to raise $200 million for St.
Jude, Proctor and Sembroski had a different path to space. Sembroski entered
a raffle that was kicked off via a Super Bowl ad in February and Proctor
used Isaacman’s Shift4Payment platform to raise funds for St. Jude with her
art and poetry. She was then selected by a panel of judges for the mission.
The crew arrived in style via fighter jets to Florida’s Launch and Landing
Facility at Kennedy Space Center on Friday.
The crew members will spend three days orbiting Earth, document their
experience and conduct low-gravity science before splashing down off
Florida’s coast.
According to the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron, the current launch
window has a 70% chance of favorable liftoff conditions. The primary
concerns Wednesday night will be cloud cover and rain.
If the launch scrubs Wednesday a backup window opens Thursday, also at 8:05
p.m. Chances on Thursday improve slightly with an 80% chance of favorable
liftoff weather, according to Space Force weather officers.
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