Ahead of the launch of Dragon’s first all-civilian human spaceflight on Wednesday, September 15, the Static fire has completed the test of Falcon 9.
SpaceX said on Friday that the launch would take place no earlier than 8 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. Three days ahead of time, it aims to cut it down to a five-hour window. The crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday and will launch from Launch Complex 39-A, the same pad that propelled Apollo 11 to the moon.
Isaacman, who established his internet company Shift4 Payments as a 16-year-old in his parent’s basement, says he understands how this goal may be perceived as a “billionaire on a joyride.”
However, Isaacman stated in the Netflix series “Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space” that it was much more than a rich man’s ego trip.
“We won’t do it if we can’t make a significant difference in the world’s issues today, or if we don’t earn the right to go into space. We were drawn to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital right away “he stated.
Isaacman, who is identified as the “Mission Commander and Benefactor,” sees the mission as a way to raise $200 million for St. Jude. He has personally pledged the first $100 million.
Inspiration4 is built around four “mission pillars,” each of which is represented by a Dragon capsule seat: Leadership, Hope, Generosity, and Prosperity.
Isaacman stated, “We’re not going up with a bunch of fishing buddies.”
