LIFTOFF: SpaceX launches first all-civilian flight to Earth's orbit.
The Inspiration4 rocket took off successfully at the start of the five-hour window for launch at 8:02 p.m. ET. It reached orbit about 12 minutes later.
SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission is the third recent billionaire-backed space launch, but it's going where neither Richard Branson nor Jeff Bezos could -- into orbit.If successful, the crew on Inspiration4 will reach the farthest any civilian has traveled from Earth. They will orbit 360 miles above the Earth, even further than the International Space Station, which orbits at 240 miles.
Isaacman wants this launch to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He has already donated $100 million to the cause. The third occupant will be Dr. Sian Proctor, 51, who said she has dreamed of going to space since she was a child. She burst into tears when she heard she was chosen as a member of the Inspiration4 mission.The final crew member is Chris Sembroski, 41, an Iraq War veteran and engineer with Lockheed Martin, who won the final seat through a lottery that required a St. Jude donation to enter.
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