时间:2025-04-02 19:49:03 来源:网络整理编辑:休閑
SpaceX launched the world's first all-civilian spaceflight on Wednesday night, taunting everyone els
SpaceX launched the world's first all-civilian spaceflight on Wednesday night, taunting everyone else with the illusory hope of one day escaping this planet — if only temporarily.
Launched at 8:02 p.m. from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Inspiration4 mission was propelled by SpaceX's partially reusable Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket and utilized the autonomous Crew Dragon Resilience.Though the Crew Dragon spacecraft is actually capable of carrying up to seven people, only four climbed aboard this expensive joyride to space.
Most importantly, all of them are civilians, making the Inspiration4 the first spaceflight not to include any professional astronauts.
The crew aboard the Inspiration4 mission consists of Shift4 Payments founder and CEO Jared Isaacman, physician assistant Hayley Arceneaux, aerospace data engineer Chris Sembroski, and geoscientist Dr. Sian Proctor. Isaacman is acting as commander of the mission, which basically puts him in charge of making sure no one presses any buttons they shouldn't.
iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum—$599.00
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet—$142.49(List Price $219.99)
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case—$168.99(List Price $249.00)
Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker With 6-Months Membership—$99.95(List Price $159.95)
Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band)—$279.99(List Price $399.00)
This isn't the first time civilians have been shot into space, but it is the first time they've reached orbit. While Virgin Group billionaire Sir Richard Branson and Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos famously boarded private rockets earlier this year, the Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin space flights were suborbital and only scraped the edge of space for a few scant minutes.
In contrast, the Inspiration4's crew are expected to remain in orbit at an altitude of 360 miles for three days, circumnavigating the globe once every 90 minutes. The amateur astronauts will also have a spectacular view while they're up there. As the Crew Dragon won't need to connect to any space stations, the docking port at its nose has been replaced with a domed windowfor this mission.
Once the space ride is over the Inspiration4's crew will hurtle back to Earth and splash down somewhere off Florida's coast.
The overall cost of this offworld tourist trip hasn't been revealed, but mission bankroller Isaacman previously stated it was under $200 million. Inspiration4 also aims to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, though asking the public to donate to sick children in order to justify a billionaire's space holiday is still weird. In addition to soliciting donations, the fundraising effort includes selling NFTs. Because of course it does.
TopicsSpaceX
'Rocket League' Championship Series Season 2 offers $250,000 prize pool2025-04-02 19:32
Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner just took friendship goals to a whole new level2025-04-02 19:30
Here are the best and worst moments of the 2017 Golden Globes2025-04-02 19:00
The U.S. just had its 2nd2025-04-02 18:26
5 people Tim Cook calls for advice on running the biggest company in the world2025-04-02 17:48
'Moonlight' saves best for last, wins best drama at Golden Globes2025-04-02 17:48
Our absurd political reality summed up in one tweet2025-04-02 17:44
'This Is Us' Spoilers: Is Toby Dead or Alive?2025-04-02 17:16
Airbnb activates disaster response site for Louisiana flooding2025-04-02 17:08
Nick Offerman just trolled us all at CES2025-04-02 17:07
There's a big piece of fake chicken stuck to this phone case2025-04-02 19:47
Tennis legend Roger Federer playing a pair of 'air bongos' is pure dorky joy2025-04-02 19:45
Netflix knows you like Korean dramas, so it's making an original series2025-04-02 19:01
'This Is Us' Spoilers: Is Toby Dead or Alive?2025-04-02 18:57
Plane makes emergency landing after engine rips apart during flight2025-04-02 18:46
Top Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar comes out of the closet, nearly2025-04-02 18:36
5 VR safety tips to stop you from destroying your home2025-04-02 18:16
Vinci smart headphones have a friggin' screen on them2025-04-02 18:11
Tyler, the Creator helped Frank Ocean celebrate 'Blonde' release in a delicious way2025-04-02 17:34
Clarity promises to be Mint and Digit, combined2025-04-02 17:15