SpaceX Inspiration4 Launch Soon: Know Who Are The 4 Civilians Chosen For First-Of-Its-Kind Spaceflight
4 crew members onboard SpaceX Inspiration4 spaceflight will represent the mission pillars of Leadership, Hope, Generosity & Prosperity. The mission has been named in recognition of the 4-member crew
New Delhi: Four private citizens will create history as they launch into Earth orbit this week, in SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience Spacecraft atop an already used Falcon 9 rocket. The four crew members of SpaceX's three-day Inspiration4 Mission are non-professional astronauts.
Inspiration4 will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, and an accomplished pilot and adventurer. He will be joined by Medical Officer Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and paediatric 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 crew has no role in spaceflight operation, and their titles are largely honorary.
Their objective is to raise awareness and $200 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and study the human body in space. The mission has been named Inspiration4 in recognition of the four-person crew.
SpaceX is targetting a five-hour launch window, opening at 8:02 pm EDT, on Wednesday, September 15, or 5:32 am IST, on Thursday, September 16, in order to launch the Inspiration4 astronauts from Launch Complex 39A, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The crew has undergone a significant amount of training for the mission in a short period, beginning with centrifuge training in March, according to NASASpaceflight.com.
During the training of Dragon simulations at Hawthorne in July, Isaacman and Dr Proctor learnt spacecraft control, in case they are required to take control of Dragon, during flight.
SpaceX and the Inspiration4 crew conducted a dry-dress rehearsal, which is a full rehearsal of launch day activities, on September 13. This was followed by a static fire test, as reported by SpaceX, through its official Twitter handle.
Isaacman, Arceneaux, Sembroski and Dr Sian represent the mission pillars of Leadership, Hope, Generosity and Prosperity, respectively.
Jared Isaacman — 'Leadership'
Jared Isaacman, 38, is the benefactor and commander of the mission, representing the mission pillar of 'Leadership'.
He started Shift4 Payments in 1999 when he was just 16 years old, and subsequently built it into a leading payments technology company. In 2004, at the age of 21, he took flying lessons and became a pilot.
Isaacman is considered one of the industry's most influential business leaders, and is an accomplished jet pilot, who can fly commercial as well as military aircraft. Some of the world records he holds include two Speed-Around-The-World flights in 2008 and 2009, that raised money and awareness for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
As part of the Black Diamond Jet Team, he flew in more than 100 airshows, which were also dedicated to charitable causes.
Isaacman co-founded Draken International to train pilots for the United States Armed Forces, in 2011, which went on to become the largest private air force in the world.
"In fulfilling a personal and lifelong dream, I recognize the tremendous responsibility that comes with commanding this mission. While a historic journey awaits us in space, I hope this mission reinforces how far inspiration can take us and the extraordinary achievements it leads to here on Earth," said Isaacman, as quoted on the Inspiration4 official website.
Hayley Arceneaux — ‘Hope’
Hayley Arceneaux, 29, is a physician assistant at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and paediatric cancer survivor. She will serve as the Chief Medical Officer for Inspiration4.
Arceneaux was treated at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where she was given chemotherapy and a limb-saving surgery. Her successful battle against cancer is what makes her the representative of 'Hope'. After obtaining her Physician Assistant (PA) degree in 2016, she now assists patients with leukaemia and lymphoma, at the same hospital that saved her life, and was chosen to represent charity. She will become the youngest American to reach orbit, at 29 years of age.
"It's an incredible honor to be a part of this mission that is not only raising crucial funds for the lifesaving work of St. Jude but also introducing new supporters to the cause and showing cancer survivors that anything is possible," Arceneaux was quoted as saying.
Chris Sembroski — 'Generosity'
Chris Sembroski, 42, is a data engineer, who had always been curious about outer space and stargazing. He will serve as Mission Specialist for Inspiration4.
Sembroski supported the St. Jude mission of 'Finding cures. Saving children'. He worked as a US Space Camp counselor, and supported STEM-based education. He volunteered with ProSpace to help open space travel, and allow companies like SpaceX to come into existence, during his college days.
Sembroski also served in the US Air Force, as an Electro-Mechanical Technician, and throughout his career, he has used innovative methods to monitor and maintain mechanical equipment, increasing the efficiency of data centres and hospitals.
He maintained a fleet of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles while serving in the US Air Force. He has a degree in Professionals Aeronautics and works in the aerospace industry.
Sembroski was selected as a part of a global contest for a trip on the flight. He now works at Lockheed Martin. Because of his selfless activities for the betterment of others, he symbolises 'Generosity'.
"Joining the Inspiration4 crew and its mission of support for St. Jude is truly a dream come true. It is my hope that this flight will inspire others to pay that generosity forward by pledging their support for St. Jude and encouraging kids to dream the impossible, ushering in a new era of space exploration open to all,” he was quoted as saying.
Sian Proctor — 'Prosperity'
Dr Sian Proctor, 51, is a geoscientist, explorer and science communication specialist, who has always been passionate about space exploration. She will be Inspiration4 mission's 'Pilot'. She has carried on her father's interest in space, who worked at NASA's tracking station during the Apollo missions. She was selected in a similar manner as Sembroski. She has a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education.
Proctor is an analog astronaut — someone who conducts activities in simulated space conditions. She was a part of the NASA-funded four-month Mars Missions at the Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) in 2014, which aimed to investigate food strategies for long-duration spaceflights.
Proctor was also involved in the all-female Sensoria Mars 2020 Mission at HI-SEAS. Her motto is "Space2inspire". She also loves art and poetry, and with her Spacetoinspire Art, she encourages the creation of a J.E.D.I Space: a Just, Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Space for all of humanity.
Proctor was even a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Program. Recently, she was selected as an Explorer's Club 50: Fifty People Changing the World. She is a licensed pilot, is SCUBA certified, and has worked as a geoscience professor for more than 20 years at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. Her versatile nature is the reason why she symbolises 'Prosperity'.
"I am thrilled to be part of the historic Inspiration4 crew and to represent the Prosperity seat. Going to space has always been a dream of mine and being able to inspire the world through art and poetry makes it even more special for me," she said.
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