to launch himself, a healthcare worker and two others — to be selected via sweepstakes — into orbit in late 2021.
The mission is called Inspiration4. SpaceX announced on Monday that it's targeting the fourth quarter of 2021 for launch, after 37-year-old billionaire Jared Isaacman bought a four-person flight aboard the company's Crew Dragon spaceship. "If we're going to continue making advances up there in space, then we have an obligation to do the same down here on Earth," Isaacman said during the call.
The crew selections are to be announced by the end of February. Then, the crew will immediately begin SpaceX's astronaut-training program, with Isaacman making some additions inspired by his mountain-climbing experience. The Crew-1 mission launched SpaceX's first full crew of four astronauts in November, aboard a Dragon capsule named Resilience, which remains attached to the ISS until the astronauts return in spring.The Resilience capsule approaches the International Space Station for docking, November 16, 2020.
For now, the plan is to orbit at the ISS altitude of about 250 miles for two to four days, according to Isaacman and Musk. It's not yet clear what they will do with their time in space. Isaacman said it will involve"some experiments" for research institutions like St. Jude, but he declined to elaborate.
Launching billionaires into space seems like a public service.
thanks for this news