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20/9/21
Mission to Space
Last week, on the 15th September 2021, SpaceX Launched their Inspiration4 mission into space. Their mission was to orbit the Earth and it was the first mission to go so high up into space with no fully trained astronauts.
They launched the mission from the Kennedy Space Center in America. The Dragon Spacecraft was launched into space by the Falcon 9, a SpaceX rocket, the first ever reusable rocket.
Jets flying over the Kennedy Space Center in America. Can you see the launch pad where rockets blast off from here into space?
Inspiration 4 lifting off successfully into space.
After they had been launched up into space by the Falcon 9 rocket, the Dragon Spacecraft orbited Earth every 90 minutes (an hour and a half) for three days. They were travelling at a speed faster than 17 000 miles per hour!
As they were orbiting the planet they were further out than the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope. They were about 357 miles above the Earths atmosphere.
Orbiting the Earth
Before going up into space the four lucky civilians spent six months training, a lot less time then astronauts but it would have been very intensive!
Talking to people back on Earth while up in space.
While they were orbiting the Earth they spent their time looking at the amazing views of Earth, doing experiments, including the effects of space on their bodies and spoke to people back on Earth, including Tom Cruise! The mission was also raising money for a research hospital in America doing important work to help sick children.
After three days in space they safely splashed back down to Earth, landing in the Atlantic Ocean.
You can learn more about Inspiration4 on the official website.
All photos and illustrations in this blog post are Whizzbots, Creative Commons and Adobe Stock Images.
Other images on the site may be Shutterstock or Public Domain Images.