SpaceX launches its first private space crew on the Inspiration4 mission conceived and financed by Pennsylvania tech billionaire Jared Isaacman. A St. Jude’s physician assistant will be on board, along with two contest winners. Launch window at 0002GMT on Thursday.

RELATED: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/15/spacex-launch-inspiration-4-mission-first-all-civilian-private-flight/8330199002/

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.

Rather than just climbing to the edge of space and returning to land in less than an hour as Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin recently did, Inspiration4 will circle the Earth and do so in a higher orbit than the International Space Station.

» Subscribe to USA TODAY: http://bit.ly/1xa3XAh

» USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR.

The post SpaceX launches first private space crew into orbit | USA TODAY appeared first on Rich X Search.