SpaceX Inspiration4
If you’re watching the SpaceX Inspiration4 launch today, then you’ll likely notice that each of the four crew members has unique nicknames. Where did those nicknames come from? As it turns out, the space flight used the nicknames as part of a humanitarian message. However, these nicknames are specifically for the seats they are occupying. The crew also have callsigns that are different.
The Nicknames Are Part of a Humanitarian Message
According to a press release from SpaceX, the nicknames are part of the flight’s overall humanitarian mesage.
The press release noted: “The mission name Inspiration4 recognizes the four-person crew’s purpose – to send a humanitarian message of possibility and inspire support for St. Jude – and represents the pillars of Leadership, Hope, Generosity and Prosperity.”
The crew members are Hayley Arceneaux, Jared Isaacman, Sian Proctor, and Chris Sembroski.
Jared Isaacman Is in Command of the ‘Leadership’ Seat
Isaacman, who bankrolled the flight, is also in command of the mission, Space.com reported. He’s hoping the trip will raise awareness for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Isaacman’s seat is called “Leadership.”
He told Space.com about the fundraising goal: “These families [at St. Jude] were dealt horrible hands. They’re going through what no one should ever have to go through. It’s immense heartache, and the sad part is many of those kids will not grow up to [have] any of the experiences that I’ve been lucky enough to have in life. We’ve just got to do something about that.”
Isaacman’s call sign is “Rooks,” Space.com reported.
Hayley Arceneaux’s Seat Is ‘Hope’
Arceneaux is occupying the mission seat nicknamed “Hope,” a press release shared. She’s in one of two seats donated by Jared Isaacman and is the mission’s medical officer, Space.com reported. She’s a physician’s assistant at St. Jude, where she was also a patient as a child.
Isaacman said about the flight’s purpose:
Assembling a unique and diverse crew whose personal stories and values will inspire people everywhere is at the heart of the Inspiration4 mission. As I’ve spent time with Hayley in the earliest days of mission prep, she’s everything we want our team to represent – she’s interested in the world around her, devoted to caring for others and hopeful for a better future for all of us. She already inspires me, and I’m certain she’ll inspire many others as they get to know her in the course of our mission.
Arceneaux’s callsign is “Nova,” Space.com reported.
Sembroski Is in the ‘Generosity’ Seat
The last two seats that were filled are named Generosity and Prosperity. The Generosity seat was given to a member of the public who entered a contest for the opportunity. It was actually a friend of Sembroski who won the contest, but they decided to pass the ticket along to Sembroski.
Sembroski told Space.com: “It feels just so, so overwhelmingly satisfying and amazing. I feel so blessed that there was so much generosity afforded to me to make this all happen.”
Sembroski’s callsign is “Hanks,” Space.com reported.
Proctor Is in the ‘Propserity’ Seat
Proctor now holds the “Prosperity” seat on the flight. The Prosperity seat was given to “any deserving entrepreneur who utilizes the new Shift4Shop eCommerce platform to submit their idea and be selected by a panel of distinguished judges. The Shift4Shop platform is designed to empower entrepreneurs to build and grow successful eCommerce businesses.”
Proctor ultimately won the competition after setting up an e-commerce site and sharing a video about her story, Space.com reported. Her shop, called Space2Inspire, shared postcards and prints of her AfronautSpace art. Proctor is a geoscientist and science communication specialist who has been part of four analog space missions. She was a 2009 finalist for NASA’s astronaut candidate selection.
Sembroski told Space.com about Proctor: “She won based off of her heart and her space art, not just from what her experience and her resume. You know, she’s done all these amazing things, but … to win her seat wasn’t about anything or her resume, it was just, she let her true passion come out … her love of space and art.”
Proctor’s callsign is “Leo,” Space.com reported.
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