SpaceX targeting Wednesday night for all-civilian, private mission launch
SpaceX is targeting Wednesday night to launch the first all-private orbital space mission.
The five-hour launch window for, Inspiration4 will open at 8:02 p.m. the Inspiration4 team said in a press release Sunday. The United Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 70% chance favorable conditions for launch from Launch Complex 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center.
A backup window opens at 8:05 p.m. EDT Thursday.
By the way:SpaceX still aiming for mid-month launch of all-civilian crew
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Sitting atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will be four private citizens in a specially modified Crew Dragon capsule awaiting to start three days of orbiting the Earth, the first time an all-civilian crew will have orbited the planet,
Paying for it all is Jared Isaacman, a 38-year-old billionaire high-school dropout, who is promoting the flight as massive fundraising effort for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Joining him will be:
- Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude. She was treated for bone cancer herself at the hospital as a child.
- Chris Sembroski, an aerospace worker from Seattle who was selected from among 72,000 entries based donations to St. Jude.
- Sian Proctor, an educator and trained pilot who was a finalist in NASA's 2009 astronaut class.
The crew ran through a complete dress rehearsal of launch day activities Sunday and SpaceX successfully test-fired the Falcon 9's engines overnight.
SpaceX's recent crewed launches from the Cape were projected to draw hundreds of thousands of spectators. Brevard County emergency management officials have not decided whether to implement a traffic plan for potential Inspiration4 launch congestion.
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“One thing we think that might be working in our favor traffic-wise is that it's going to (open) at eight o'clock at night on a work night/school night — and in the middle of the week," Brevard County Communications Director Don Walker said.
Walker said Brevard County Emergency Management will likely post traffic updates on the Waze smartphone app to keep motorists in the loop. The department will also post updates on Facebook and Twitter.
“At the very least, we're going to be on social media letting people know where parking lots are full, and where our prime viewing areas are still available," he said.
Many hotels in the Cape Canaveral area and northern Cocoa Beach are reporting moderate to high occupancy rates, and a few have sold out, said Meagan Happel, public relations manager with Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism.
"There is always some uptick in visitation around historic launches, especially crewed ones. Inspiration4 is particularly exciting as the first all-civilian flight launching from the Space Coast, and we’re certainly seeing some interest," Happel said.
A 25+ year veteran of FLORIDA TODAY, John McCarthy currently oversees the space team and special projects. Support quality local journalism by subscribing to FLORIDA TODAY. You can contact McCarthy at 321-752-5018 or jmccarthy@floridatoday.com.