CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. — SpaceX’s first all-civilian mission successfully lifted off from launch complex 39-A at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening.
See the launch again in the video below:
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The Inspiration 4 mission was commanded by pilot and billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments.
Inspiration4 launch Inspiration4 successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. (wftv.com)
Inspiration4 launch Inspiration4 successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. (wftv.com)
Inspiration4 launch Inspiration4 successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. (wftv.com)
Inspiration4 launch Inspiration4 successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. (wftv.com)
Inspiration4 launch Inspiration4 successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. (wftv.com)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
Inspiration4 launch prep Preparations are underway for the historic Inspiration 4 launch from Florida's Space Coast. (SpaceX/SpaceX)
“From the beginning, Inspiration 4 has set out to inspire the world as to what is possible in space, but also what we can accomplish here on Earth,” Isaacman said.
Isaacman said he’s using the Inspiration4 mission to raise awareness and money for St. Jude Research Hospital.
Isaacman is joined on the historic flight by medical officer Hayley Arceneaux, a childhood cancer survivor and physician’s assistant, mission specialist Chris Sembroski, a U.S. Air Force veteran and aerospace worker and Dr. Sian Procter, a geoscientist and former NASA astronaut candidate.
The crew will be conducting medical research during their mission, which will take them 575 kilometers about the Earth’s surface. It marks the highest humans have gone into orbit since the Hubble servicing mission.
Once the crew entered the Dragon, teams will still need to conduct a number of additional checks before the launch director gives the go-ahead to begin fueling the rocket.
The five-hour launch window is set to open at 8:02 p.m. Wednesday.
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