When OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
By Kira Lloyd , age 12
Most people have considered being an astronaut at least once in their lives , probably when they were little . Many young people are asked what they want to do when they grow up , and a trend among younger kids is being an astronaut , firefighter , or pilot . As most get older , they realize how becoming an astronaut isn ’ t as simple as they thought , but it ’ s still cool to imagine yourself floating around in space , or walking on the moon . That ’ s where the idea for “ Inspiration4 ” came from .
A few months ago , I watched a documentary with my family about a different sort of space crew . Inspiration4 is a team of astronuats made entirely of civilians . The organization was the first to ever have an all-civilian crew go up into space . Each person represented one part of their mission : leadership , generosity , hope , and prosperity .
10 LET ’ S GO AEROSPACE
The four people picked to fulfill these roles were Jared Issacman , the “ founder and CEO ” of Shift4payments , and the “ leader ” of the space crew . The second person was Hayley Arceneaux ; she is a medical officer and physician ’ s assistant at St . Jude Children ’ s Hospital , and she came to represent the “ hope ” on this trip . Our third person fills the role of “ generosity ,” and that man is Chris Sembroski . He is a mission specialist and Air Force veteran . And last , but certainly not least , Dr . Sian Proctor comes in to demonstrate “ prosperity .” She had wanted to go to space for years and was over the moon when she finally got the chance . Before becoming an astronaut , she was already a geoscientist , explorer , and artist .
After all of the chairs had been filled , the crew was taken to Mount Rainier to undergo flight training . The first thing they did to prepare for this incredible escapade into space was to hike up a mountain . The long , uncomfortable trek was used to get the crew “ comfortable with being uncomfortable .” ( In the words of Jared Issacman ) After hiking to an elevation of 10,000-feet , they came back down to get ready for their next bit of their training . In order to do this , the crew would make “ centrifuge runs ” at the National Aerospace Training and Research Center in Southampton . During this training , each individual would take turns getting into the centrifuge chamber to undergo a simulation that represents feeling up to four to six “ g ’ s ” — similar to what the crew would end up feeling during their actual flight .