SpaceX’s all-civilian Inspiration4 crew arrived to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Thursday afternoon ahead of launching to space from historic Launch Pad-39A. After the crew arrived to KSC, they met with SpaceX and Inspiration4 mission teams in the evening to have a weather briefing. “After evaluating the readiness of the Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon spacecraft, associated ground systems, recovery assets and other key elements of SpaceX’s human spaceflight system, and the current weather forecasts of conditions at the launch site, along the ascent corridor, and at the landing locations off the coasts of Florida for a safe return of the crew a few days later, teams agreed to now target no earlier than 8:00 p.m. ET [Eastern Time] on Wednesday, September 15 for liftoff,” representatives announced in a press release today. “This will allow additional time for final preparations, vehicle checkouts and data reviews. SpaceX and Inspiration4 will narrow down the launch window to five hours approximately three days before liftoff.”
This spacecraft previously supported the Crew-1 mission
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 11, 2021
SpaceX already transported the previously-flown Crew Dragon spacecraft they will ride from its processing facility on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to a hangar near the launch pad where it was mated to a flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket. “This spacecraft previously supported the Crew-1 mission,” the company said. SpaceX plans to transport the vehicle to Pad-39A this weekend to perform a static-fire test of the rocket’s nine Merlin 1D engines ahead of launch next week to ensure all is ready for liftoff.
Our crew is continuing final preparations for launch and teams are targeting no earlier than 8:00 p.m. ET on September 15 for liftoff of #Inspiration4.
— Inspiration4 (@inspiration4x) September 10, 2021
SpaceX and Inspiration4 will narrow down the launch window to five hours approximately three days before liftoff. pic.twitter.com/l6zmkGk6Zo
The Inspiration4 crew final day of training was on September 8, then they traveled to Florida aboard four L-39’s and two Alpha jets. “We have arrived at NASA Kennedy... it was a great morning of flying with my Inspiration4 crew. Right side is in! Standard. Expect more flights around KSC as we get closer to the big launch,” Inspiration4 Commander Jared Isaacman said via Twitter on Thursday. He shared an amazing set of photographs of them flying aboard jets. “[…] We are all excited for this week NASA Kennedy with SpaceX,” Inspiration4 Pilot Dr. Sian Proctor shared.
We have arrived at @NASAKennedy .. it was a great morning of flying with my @inspiration4x crew. Right side is in! Standard. Expect more flights around KSC as we get closer to the big launch🚀 pic.twitter.com/Kcl2moCNvM
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) September 9, 2021
Once in space, the crew will orbit Earth for three days at an altitude of 575-kilometers which is higher than any human has been to since NASA’s Hubble Telescope was last serviced in 2009. Their voyage to space will not only be a space tour, the crew plans to conduct some science research led by Inspiration4 Medical Chief Hayley Arceneaux, who is flying to space to represent St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She survived childhood cancer and is now a physician assistant at the hospital’s oncology unit. She will be the youngest woman to ever go to space at 29 years old, and aspires to inspire the kids at St. Jude.
Isaacman, Proctor, and Arceneaux “are such an incredible crew and we have the best team Inspiration4! Everyone at SpaceX has trained us to the utmost and we’re ready! Let’s go do this thing!” Inspiration4 Mission Specialist Chris Sembroski said on their final day of training. If you would like to learn more about the crew you can watch their journey on Netflix. This week Netflix released the first two episodes of the Inspiration4 documentary called – Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space. All revenue from the historic all-civilian mission is beneficial to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The @inspiration4x team flew to Florida today in four L-39’s and two Alpha jets. I got to practice my aerial photography. We are all excited for this week @NASAKennedy with @SpaceX.
— Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor (@DrSianProctor) September 9, 2021
👩🏾🚀🚀🌏🐉 pic.twitter.com/SaSDxCq5qw
I couldn’t agree more! @rookisaacman @DrSianProctor @ArceneauxHayley are such an incredible crew and we have the best team @inspiration4x! Everyone at @SpaceX has trained us to the utmost and we’re ready! Let’s go do this thing! 🐉🚀 https://t.co/Tr1rG9V4GI
— Chris “Hanks” Sembroski (@ChrisSembroski) September 9, 2021
On Sept 6, you’ll meet the four civilians going into space.
— Netflix (@netflix) September 2, 2021
On Sept 13, you’ll see them prepare.
On Sept 15, you’ll watch the live launch
On Sept 30, you’ll be in space alongside them
Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space takes off next week pic.twitter.com/prr0RDZSXc
All Featured Images Source: Inspiration4 & SpaceX
About the Author
Evelyn Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
