SpaceX successfully launched the first space flight with an entire civilian crew for the first time on Wednesday (15/09) at 20:02 EDT.
Another thing that makes this mission more than just space tourism is the crew on board. They are officially civilians, not “official” astronauts from some national space agency. Who are they?.
The mission commander, Jared Isaacman, for example, is qualified to fly commercial and military aircraft. SpaceX calls Isaacman an accomplished pilot and adventurer. He is also the founder of a digital payments company called Shift4.
Hayley Arceneaux is a physician assistant at St. Children’s Research Hospital. Jude, where he himself was treated for bone cancer as a child.
Chris Sembroski was the man who lobbied for commercial spaceflight in the early days, paving the way for companies like SpaceX (according to their own claims). Sembroski served with the US Air Force and now works in the aerospace industry.
Finally, there is Sian Proctor who is a geoscientist. He was born in Guam, where his father worked on a NASA tracking station during the Apollo missions to the Moon.
SpaceX describes Proctor as an analog astronaut — “a person who performs activities in simulated space conditions” — and he has completed four analog missions.
SpaceX said the four of them would conduct scientific research “designed to advance human health on Earth and during long-term spaceflights in the future.”
(NFL)
