The
Inspiration4 manned space capsule re-entered the earth's atmosphere. It
splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean without any problems. All four civilian
astronauts emerged from the capsule in good health and with great spirits. (Can
you imagine the party that awaited them when the helicopter took them back to
dry land??!!)
I watched the SpaceX podcast of the reentry
and landing. Two young SpaceX engineers were the commentators. They projected a
very nonchalant attitude. It was like the whole process was “just routine; “ like
the landing of an airliner after a flight.
I could see tension in the faces of the
SpaceX personnel behind them in mission control. They had good reason to be
tense. The Dragon capsule was making a reentry like no other Dragon Capsule had
done before. They were coming in faster. The capsule would go to 3,500 degrees
Fahrenheit while crashing to earth. There is also the crucial issue of the
alignment of the capsule as it starts to reenter the earth's atmosphere. It must
be "mathematically perfect." If the capsule comes one degree too
shallow, it will burn up, killing the four astronauts. If the capsule comes one
degree too high, it will bounce off the earth's atmosphere and be stranded in
space. Most likely, the crew would run out of life support and electricity
before a rescue could be mounted.
This entire mission was a noble effort to
raise money for a great hospital that has been in business some 60 years-Saint
Jude's Children's Hospital. This money raising effort has been a success. The
statistics vary wildly on how much money has been raised. Estimates start as
low as "just under $200 million dollars" up to "more than $570
million dollars."
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