RDW - SpaceX Inspiration4 mission marks new era for space industry

The first all-civilian mission to orbit Earth is set to take off tonight, within a five-hour launch window that opens at 8:02 p.m. ET. SpaceX (SPACE) will power the expedition, known as Inspiration4, using one of its Dragon capsules atop a reusable Falcon 9 rocket. It'll be also proof of concept for the broader private spaceflight industry, which hopes to send many more people to space in the coming years and push even deeper into the solar system. Bigger picture: Inspiration4 will be commanded by Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) CEO and accomplished pilot Jared Isaacman. While the civilian mission is part of a charity initiative to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, it's also being seen as a coming-of-age moment for an adolescent commercial spaceflight market. The crew of four will spend three days in orbit and perform a number of medical experiments like gathering data about their "movement,

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SpaceX Inspiration4 mission marks new era for space industry