{"id":17491,"date":"2021-09-18T18:03:12","date_gmt":"2021-09-18T10:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/citizen-spacefliers-splash-down-finishing-up-inspiration4s-charity-mission-in-orbit\/"},"modified":"2021-09-18T18:03:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-18T10:03:12","slug":"citizen-spacefliers-splash-down-finishing-up-inspiration4s-charity-mission-in-orbit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/citizen-spacefliers-splash-down-finishing-up-inspiration4s-charity-mission-in-orbit\/","title":{"rendered":"Citizen spacefliers splash down, finishing up Inspiration4\u2019s charity mission in orbit"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_643227\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-643227\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-643227\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/210918-inspire-630x354.jpg\" alt=\"SpaceX Dragon splashdown\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/210918-inspire-630x354.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/210918-inspire-1260x708.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/210918-inspire-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/210918-inspire-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/210918-inspire.jpg 1616w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-643227\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX\u2019s Crew Dragon capsule descends to a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. (Inspiration4 Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The first non-governmental flight to orbit ended with a splash \u2014 and with the safe return of the Inspiration4 mission\u2019s billionaire commander and his three crewmates.<\/p>\n<p>Shift4 Payment\u2019s 38-year-old founder and CEO, Jared Isaacman, paid what\u2019s thought to be a price of more than $100 million for the three-day flight. The mission began on Wednesday evening with a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch and ended at 7:06 p.m. ET (4:06 p.m. PT) today with the splashdown of SpaceX\u2019s reusable Crew Dragon capsule in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.<\/p>\n<p>Inspiration4\u2019s main goal is to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children\u2019s Research Hospital. In addition to paying for the flight, Isaacman committed to donating $100 million. Another $60 million was raised by the time the Crew Dragon came back to Earth \u2014 and soon after the splashdown, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk pushed the total past $210 million.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCount me in for $50M,\u201d Musk wrote in a tweet.<\/p>\n<p>Isaacman\u2019s three crewmates were chosen by various means:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hayley Arceneaux<\/strong>, a 29-year-old cancer survivor who\u2019s now a physician assistant at St. Jude, was picked by the hospital and goes into the history books as the youngest American in space as well as the first person to fly in orbit with a prosthetic (in the form of a titanium rod in her leg).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sian Proctor<\/strong>, 51, is an educator and artist who won an online competition for users of Shift4\u2019s online payment system. She\u2019s the first Black woman to serve as a space mission\u2019s pilot.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chris Sembroski<\/strong>, 42, an Air Force veteran, space enthusiast and data engineer from Everett, Wash., got his chance to fly courtesy of a college friend who won a charity sweepstakes and arranged for Sembroski to go instead.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In advance of the mission, the foursome went through months of training, including hours upon hours of simulations, a zero-G airplane flight, high-G jet flights, nausea-inducing centrifuge spins and a grueling Mount Rainier climb.<\/p>\n<p>During their time in orbit, the crew participated in Friday\u2019s closing-bell ceremony on the New York Stock Exchange, chatted with St. Jude cancer patients and their families, took calls from celebrities including Tom Cruise and U2\u2019s Bono, and spent lots of time gazing out at Earth through SpaceX\u2019s custom-built cupola window.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"SpaceX Inspiration4 splashdown\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sHQv_S0stcI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This flight was different from SpaceX\u2019s three earlier crewed flights, in that it didn\u2019t include a docking at the International Space Station. Instead, the Crew Dragon headed for an orbit that rose as high as 585 kilometers (363.5 miles), which is the highest that humans have flown since the space shuttle Discovery visited the Hubble Space Telescope in 1999.<\/p>\n<p>Benji Reed, SpaceX\u2019s director of human spaceflight programs, said the crew faced no major issues during the flight. \u201cThis mission was awesome,\u201d he told reporters after the splashdown.<\/p>\n<p>The only issues had to do with a temperature sensor that was reporting bad data about one of the capsule\u2019s Draco thrusters, and a balky fan that\u2019s part of the onboard waste management system. \u201cThere are contingency procedures and workarounds that were implemented,\u201d Todd Ericson, one of Inspiration4\u2019s mission directors, said \u2014 without going into detail.<\/p>\n<p>Ericson said that in the early stages of the mission, the foursome experienced the normal level of space adaptation syndrome, also known as space sickness. (Studies have found that more than half of all orbital space travelers get sick at first.) But all four looked well and flashed big smiles during SpaceX\u2019s webcast of the descent.<\/p>\n<p>Ericson said Isaacman and Proctor monitored the Crew Dragon\u2019s autonomous control system throughout the flight, but never had to take manual control. \u201cIt\u2019s very automated,\u201d he explained. \u201cBasically the pilots, like an airline pilot would do, are confirming that things are going along properly. They\u2019re also prepared for contingency operations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At one point during the descent, today\u2019s webcast showed Sembroski watching a video program on his tablet \u2014 and Isaacman later joked that the crew was having \u201ca great time with in-flight entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1439350960527134722&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2021%2Fcitizen-spacefliers-splash-finishing-inspiration4s-3-day-charity-mission-orbit%2F&amp;sessionId=43475d1dd7f90b1b89e591b1ce2b06cf7a2a4d1f&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1439350960527134722\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782800174587540957=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Chris Sembroski is watching SPACE BALLS while getting ready for splashdown \ud83d\ude02 @ChrisSembroski I think @elonmusk would approve pic.twitter.com\/g1zdhNy4Mx<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Owen Sparks (@OwenSparks_) September 18, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1439352625573605378&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2021%2Fcitizen-spacefliers-splash-finishing-inspiration4s-3-day-charity-mission-orbit%2F&amp;sessionId=43475d1dd7f90b1b89e591b1ce2b06cf7a2a4d1f&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1439352625573605378\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782800174587540957=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">One of my favorite movies<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 18, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In the final minutes of the flight, cameras caught the Crew Dragon capsule floating down toward the Atlantic at the end of its red-and-white parachutes.<\/p>\n<p>After splashdown, SpaceX was the first to welcome the crew back to Earth. \u201cYour mission has shown the world that space is for all of us, and that everyday people can make an extraordinary impact on the world around them,\u201d mission control said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a heck of a ride for us,\u201d Isaacman replied. \u201cThis is just getting started.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The recovery team pulled the Crew Dragon capsule onto a ship called the Go Searcher with the spacefliers on board. They were brought out, one by one, for an initial round of medical checks. A helicopter then ferried them back to Florida to be reunited with their families.<\/p>\n<p>The next U.S. orbital flight to carry riders who are paying their own way will also make use of a SpaceX Crew Dragon, with launch scheduled for early next year. That flight is being arranged by Texas-based Axiom Space, with former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria serving as Axiom\u2019s commander. Three investors \u2014 Larry Connor, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe \u2014 are each paying an estimated fare of $55 million for what\u2019s expected to be a 10-day visit to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s Reed said more customers have expressed interest in buying a ride to orbit. \u201cThe amount of people who are approaching us through our sales and marketing portal has actually increased significantly. \u2026 There\u2019s lots of interest, and it\u2019s growing now, a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The Russian space agency is due to conduct a completely different kind of commercial space mission next month: An actress and film producer will be launched to the space station on a Soyuz craft to film scenes for a movie tentatively titled \u201cThe Challenge.\u201d Tom Cruise is also thought to be in line to star in a space-filmed movie, with Axiom Space, SpaceX and NASA playing supporting roles.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-2\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1439408853515386880&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2021%2Fcitizen-spacefliers-splash-finishing-inspiration4s-3-day-charity-mission-orbit%2F&amp;sessionId=43475d1dd7f90b1b89e591b1ce2b06cf7a2a4d1f&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1439408853515386880\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782800174587540957=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Happy. Healthy. Home.<\/p>\n<p>Welcome back to Earth, @ArceneauxHayley, @rookisaacman, @DrSianProctor, and @ChrisSembroski!#Inspiration4\u2019s mission doesn\u2019t end here \u2014 help us reach our $200 million fundraising goal for @StJude! https:\/\/t.co\/NBUL2e3f4x pic.twitter.com\/hhNQydWVJJ<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Inspiration4 (@inspiration4x) September 19, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>This report was first published at 4:25 p.m. PT Sept. 18 and has been updated with information from a post-splashdown news briefing as well as Elon Musk\u2019s $50 million pledge.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX\u2019s Crew Dragon capsule descends to a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. (Inspiration4 Photo) The first non-governmental flight to orbit ended with a splash \u2014 and with the safe return of the Inspiration4 mission\u2019s billionaire commander and his three crewmates. Shift4 Payment\u2019s 38-year-old founder and CEO, Jared Isaacman, paid what\u2019s thought to be a price [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[291,235,1798,493,316],"class_list":["post-17491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-commercial-space","tag-crew-dragon","tag-inspiration4","tag-space-tourism","tag-spacex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17491"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17491\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}