With vacations and air travel limited these days, you're probably jonesing for a getaway.
So, when the opportunity presents itself again, it's only natural that you'll want to get as far away from home as possible.
Another country would be nice. But we're thinking farther.
Like, outside the earth's atmosphere.
SpaceX announced the upcoming launch of Inspiration4, the world’s first all-commercial astronaut mission to space. It's scheduled to leave at the end of this year, and between now and February 28, you can throw your hat in the ring for a chance to join the mission.
The Dragon spacecraft will be piloted by Jared Isaacman, the 37-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments who, fortunately, is an accomplished pilot licensed to fly commercial and military aircraft. He'll be joined by three other crew members—one of whom could be you.
The shuttle will depart from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But before a rocket can propel you thousands of miles per hour away from the planet, you'll need some astronaut training. You will learn orbital mechanics, how to operate in microgravity and zero gravity, and undergo some stress tests. You'll also go through emergency preparedness training and perform a few mission simulations to ensure you're ready for launch.
The multi-day journey will orbit Earth every 90 minutes along a customized flight path, and will be carefully monitored along the way by SpaceX mission control. While in orbit, you and the other crew members will conduct experiments designed to expand our knowledge of the universe
Then, when the mission is over, the shuttle will reenter earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida.
So, you'll also get to visit the beach.