It seems that Elon Musk is a bit peeved that President Joe Biden didn’t congratulate SpaceX on completing the privately-funded Inspiration4 crewed mission last week and helping to raise $210 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“He’s still sleeping,” Musk wrote in response to a question from a Twitter follower about Biden’s silence. It was a clear reference to ex-President Donald Trump’s description of him as “sleepy Joe” during the campaign.
The remark set off the usual battle on social media. Musk’s legion of defenders called the omission unforgivable. Musk’s critics noted his willingness to amply praise authoritarian China where Musk’s Tesla Motors has a manufacturing plant even as he called U.S. officials “fascists” for their efforts to contain the deadly COVID-19 virus.
For his part, Jared Isaacman, the billionaire who funded and commanded the Inspiration4 flight, says Biden’s silence is no big deal.
Crew Dragon splashes down with Inspiration4 crew. (Credit: Inspiration4)
A few notes on the Inspiration4 mission:
Big Demand for Flights
SpaceX senior director for human spaceflight Benji Reed said yesterday that the company wants to ramp up to six private commercial human spaceflights per year.
“There’s nothing really that limits our capability to launch. It’s about having rockets and Dragons ready to go and having everything in the manifest align with our other launches,” he said.
SpaceX officials said they received many inquiries about future bookings since the Inspiration4 mission was launched on a three-day Earth orbiting flight on Wednesday.
Axiom Space is sending four people to the International Space Station in January using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft. The mission will include three paying passengers and be led by an Axiom executive who is a former NASA astronaut.
Fundraising Campaign Succeeds
SpaceX founder Elon Musk pledge of $50 million to Inspiration4’s fund-raising campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital brought the total raised to $210 million, which is $10 million above the original goal. St. Jude will use the funds to conduct cancer research.
Billionaire Jared Isaacman, who commanded the mission, donated the first $100 million to the campaign. The other $60 million was raised through online donations. There is also an ongoing auction of items flown on the mission that will bring in more money.
Inspiration4 crew in orbit. (Credit: Inspiration4)
by Douglas Messier Managing Editor
The Great Billionaire Space Race/Penis Measuring Contest of Summer 2021 came to an end on Saturday just days before the season itself does. And we can finally crown a winner or, to be more precise, winners.
Crew Dragon splashes down with Inspiration4 crew. (Credit: Inspiration4)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., September 18, 2021 (Inspiration4 PR) – After three days orbiting Earth, the astronauts of Inspiration4 flying aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft safely splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 7:06 p.m. EDT. The return marks the completion of the world’s first all-civilian human spaceflight to orbit, which launched on a flight-proven SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021.
Video Caption: The four astronauts on the Inspiration4 mission hosted a video call of a lifetime for several “stars” back on Earth – that is, children being treated for cancer and other catastrophic diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Sub to St. Jude ►► http://bit.ly/Subscribe2StJude
Inspiration4 crew in orbit. (Credit: Inspiration4)
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL, September 17, 2021 (Inspiration4 PR) – Tonight Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian human spaceflight mission to orbit, shared the crew would return tomorrow, September 18, with a targeted splashdown at 7:06 p.m. EDT in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. To prepare for this return, Dragon completed two burns tonight to reduce the spacecraft’s altitude to approximately 365km and line up the ground track with the landing site. A timeline of activities for Dragon’s return to Earth and splashdown is available on SpaceX’s website.
The crew of #Inspiration4 had an incredible first day in space! They’ve completed more than 15 orbits around planet Earth since liftoff and made full use of the Dragon cupola. pic.twitter.com/StK4BTWSA6
Falcon 9 launches the privately-funded Inspiration4 mission into orbit. (Credit: Inspiration4)
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL, September 15, 2021 (Inspiration4 PR) – On September 15 the crew of Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian human spaceflight mission to orbit, officially ushered in a new era of space exploration at 8:02:56 PM EDT as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted off from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Inspiration4 crew members Chris Sembroski, Sian Proctor, Jared Isaacman and Hayley Arceneaux. (Credit: Inspiration4)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Inspiration4 PR) – Teams from SpaceX and Inspiration4 are now targeting a five-hour launch window for the Inspiration4 mission opening at 8:02 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 15. If needed for any reason, a backup window is available opening at 8:05 p.m. EDT on Thursday, September 16.
Song from Grammy award-winning rock band Kings of Leon one of several items to be auctioned beginning Sept. 9 to support$200 million fundraising effort for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Sept. 9, 2021) – Astronauts have long brought interesting items into space, dating back to the very first Mercury mission in 1961. But with Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit, the crew will be taking not just personal mementos but things that didn’t exist even a year ago, much less 60 years ago. Indeed, their payload will include the first-ever minted NFT song to be played in orbit, created by the Grammy Award-winning rock band Kings of Leon.
VIDEO CAPTION: This September, we’re taking the next epic leap forward into space exploration. 4 civilians. Orbiting earth. On their own. Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space is a documentary series that will cover the events in near real-time, airing in five parts leading up to and after the mission, only on Netflix.
EPISODES 1/2: MEET THE CREW – WATCH GLOBALLY ON NETFLIX SEPT 6
EPISODES 3/4: PREPARE FOR LAUNCH – WATCH GLOBALLY ON NETFLIX SEPT 13 LIVE LAUNCH: WATCH ON NETFLIX YOUTUBE ON SEPT 15
EPISODE 5: THE RETURN HOME – WATCH GLOBALLY ON NETFLIX LATE SEPT
This September, four civilians will launch into space for a multi-day trip orbiting Earth, targeting approximately a 575km orbit, flying farther from Earth than any human since Hubble. Led and commanded by Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, the SpaceX Dragon mission, named Inspiration4, will make history as the world’s first all-civilian mission into orbit.
Directed by Emmy Award® winner Jason Hehir (The Last Dance), COUNTDOWN: INSPIRATION4 MISSION TO SPACE, the first Netflix documentary series to cover an event in near real-time, boldly captures the most ambitious step to date in the rapidly-developing age of civilian space exploration. With exclusive access to the trailblazing mission, the unprecedented series will premiere in five parts, taking viewers behind the scenes with the four crew members who are raising funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.
From their unconventional selection and intensive months-long commercial astronaut training, to the intimate moments leading up to liftoff, their dream opportunity becomes a reality – with all the mental, physical, and emotional challenges that come along with it. The final episode, which premieres just days after the mission is completed, will capture the historic launch and the crew’s journey into space, culminating in their triumphant splashdown and return to Earth.
Inspiration4 crew in spacesuits. (Credit: Inspiration4)
HAWTHORNE, CA, September 3, 2021 – Teams from SpaceX and Inspiration4 met yesterday at SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California to evaluate the readiness of the Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon spacecraft, ground systems, recovery assets, crew training, and other key elements of SpaceX’s human spaceflight system for Inspiration4 – the historic first all-civilian human spaceflight mission to orbit. Upon conclusion of the Flight Readiness Review, teams are proceeding toward a targeted launch on Wednesday, September 15 UTC (September 14 EDT) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A backup launch opportunity is available on Thursday, September 16 UTC (September 15 EDT). Both 24-hour launch windows start at 12:00 a.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Inspiration4 crew trains for upcoming mission. (Credit: Inspiration4)
Historic mission to advance science and medicine for human health during spaceflight
LOS ANGELES, August 30, 2021 – The crew of Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian human spaceflight mission to orbit, announced today that they will partake in a first-of-its-kind health research initiative to increase humanity’s knowledge on the impact of spaceflight on the human body. Once in orbit, the crew will perform carefully selected research experiments on human health and performance, which will have potential applications for human health on Earth and during future spaceflights.
Additionally, SpaceX, the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) at Baylor College of Medicine and investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine will collect environmental and biomedical data and biological samples from Inspiration4’s four crew members before, during, and after this historic spaceflight.
Inspiration4 crew trains for upcoming mission. (Credit: Inspiration4)
Inspiration4 Mission Press Release
Documentary Series Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space Premieres In Near Real-Time Before And After The Mission Launch
A StoryBots Space Adventure Answers Kids’ Most Pressing Questions
This September, four civilians will launch into space for a three-day trip orbiting Earth and reaching an altitude higher than that of the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Dragon mission, dubbed Inspiration4, is the most ambitious step to date in the rapidly developing age of civilian space exploration, making history as the first all-civilian mission to orbit.
Netflix members around the world can follow these civilian astronauts and their historic journey throughout the month:
