Inspiration4 Crew Launches First All-Civilian Orbital Mission to Space

The mission, dubbed Inspiration4, began without a hitch, as a reusable Falcon 9 rocket launched into space with a crew of four just after 8 pm EDT, according to a press release.

The plan is for the capsule, which is carrying billionaire Jason Isaacman and three other amateur astronauts, to spend the next three days in space. During that time, the Inspiration4 will circle the Earth every 90 minutes at speeds of more than 17,000 mph, or 22 times the speed of sound.

And unlike Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic’s initial flights, which both only touched near-space for a matter of minutes, the crew will be further from Earth than any humans have been since the last Apollo moon mission in the early 1970s. (Not coincidentally, the Falcon 9 took off from the same launch pad as NASA’s Apollo missions.) Once the voyage is over, the capsule will re-enter orbit and splashdown in the Atlantic.

“Our crew carries the responsibility and importance of this mission as we prepare to blast off,” said Isaacman just before launch.

“We have been well-prepared for the challenges ahead of us the next three days and look forward to sharing our experience with the world as we continue to bring attention to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital here on earth,” he added.

Inspiration4 won’t just raise awareness for the hospital; by design, it will raise a sizable sum of money for it as well. Although the number could still rise after items from the flight are auctioned off, the mission has already raised $200 million for St. Jude, $100 million of which comes from Isaacman himself.

Considering how much tickets on the first private space flights cost—anywhere from $450,000 to $28 million—it’s good to know that some of it are going to a good cause.