Initially reluctant because of the increased radiation exposure and other risks, SpaceX agreed after a safety review. The only significant change is the large domed window at the top in place of the usual space station docking mechanisms.Īn accomplished pilot, Isaacman persuaded SpaceX to take the Dragon capsule higher than it’s ever been. Their automated capsule has already been to orbit: It was used for SpaceX’s second astronaut flight for NASA to the space station. The door’s opening now and it’s pretty incredible.” Isaacman noted upon reaching orbit that few people have been to space - fewer than 600 over 60 years. Inside the capsule, Proctor looked giddy with joy, cupping her hands to form a heart before liftoff and then pumping her fists. But this time, the Dragon capsule aimed for an altitude of 357 miles (575 kilometers), just beyond the Hubble Space Telescope.Īcross the country, SpaceX employees at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California, cheered wildly at every flight milestone, including when the spent first-stage booster landed upright on an ocean platform. The recycled Falcon rocket soared from the same Kennedy Space Center pad used by the company’s three previous astronaut flights for NASA. “Low-Earth orbit is now more accessible for more people to experience the wonders of space,” tweeted NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, a congressman when he hitched a ride on a space shuttle decades ago. Once opposed to space tourism, NASA is now a supporter. Isaacman has pledged $100 million out of his own pocket to the hospital and is seeking another $100 million in donations.Īrceneaux became the youngest American in space and the first person in space with a prosthesis, a titanium rod in her left leg.Īlso along for the ride: sweepstakes winners Chris Sembroski, 42, a data engineer in Everett, Washington, and Sian Proctor, 51, a community college educator in Tempe, Arizona. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Joining Isaacman on the trip dubbed Inspiration4 is Hayley Arceneaux, 29, a childhood bone cancer survivor who works as a physician assistant where she was treated - St. Only 38, Isaacman made his fortune from a payment-processing company he started in his teens. Isaacman is the third billionaire to launch this summer, following the brief space-skimming flights by Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson and Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos in July. It’s SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s first entry in the competition for space tourism dollars.
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