A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from launch pad 39A September 15, 2021, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The rocket, which had the Inspiration4 crew in a Dragon spacecraft at its tip, took off from the same launch pad that the Apollo missions utilized over 50 years ago. (Courtesy photo from Inspiration4 / John Kraus)
 

By: Capt Erin Recanzone, AFIT Education with Industry Fellow at SpaceX


Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or as it is better known, SpaceX, was built on “the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one in which we are not.” One of the primary objectives in pursuit of exploration is to make humanity multi-planetary; and for nearly 20 years SpaceX has been making history as the company races towards Mars.

For SpaceX employees, being a part of history is just part of the job. Since its inception, SpaceX has focused on reusability, building rocket components that are capable of launching over and over, cutting costs and making space more accessible. The company also contracted with NASA and has been delivering cargo to the International Space Station since 2012, and in 2020 they successfully delivered NASA astronauts to and from the ISS.

Just weeks after getting assigned to SpaceX as an Air Force Institute of Technology Education with Industry Fellow, Capt. Erin Recanzone traveled to Cape Canaveral, Florida 12-18 September 2021 to be a part of SpaceX’s next historic milestone – human spaceflight for civilians.

The mission, known as Inspiration4, was a privately funded endeavor that took four civilians and made them into civilian astronauts over the course of five months. The crew launched 15 September using a Falcon 9 rocket that propelled the crew in a Dragon spacecraft to approximately 575km and orbited the Earth for about three days, flying further than any humans since the Hubble missions. They safely splashed down off the coast of Florida on 18 September.

While in Florida, Recanzone assisted the SpaceX communications team in preparing Benji Reed, Senior Director for Human Spaceflight Programs, for a public briefing attended by over 50 major media outlets. She also monitored the briefing to ensure media members adhered to the rules of engagement, enabled select major news outlets to conduct live shots on the launch pad the morning of the launch, observed the crew walk-out, and escorted a documentary crew as they set-up remote cameras and captured the civilian astronauts’ last moments before their three-day orbit in space.

The trip provided Recanzone a better understanding of how the private and governmental sectors are working together towards the common goal of space exploration. It also afforded an opportunity to see first-hand how the communications team managed the attendance of nearly 300 media members and a live webcast of the launch to bring this historic moment into the homes of millions of people all over the world.

The EWI Program is a highly selective, competitive, career development program designed to improve the technical, professional, and management competencies of participating students by partnering with top tier public and private sector companies.

During the ten month tour, students embed with an industry team to meet their specific career desired learning objectives. Through hands on exposure to industry best practices, students develop the necessary competencies, skills, knowledge, and abilities to build, sustain and retain a mission-ready workforce, as well as learn how to better partner with industry in the future.

The program is sponsored by SAF/AQ and managed by AFIT with the ultimate goal to develop Air Force leaders with greater business acumen and empathy with the expertise to implement innovative practices when they return to the Air Force. Upon completion, graduates are assigned to Air Force duty consistent with their EWI experience. For more information about the program, visit www.afit.edu/EWI

(From left to right) Chris Sembroski, Sian Proctor, Jared Isaacman and Haley Arceneaux, the crew of Inspiration4, are greeted with cheers from the crowd September 15, 2021, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Inspiration4, was a privately funded endeavor that took four civilians and made them into civilian astronauts over the course of five months. (Courtesy photo from Inspiration4 / John Kraus)

 A SpaceX Dragon capsule approaches splashdown off the coast of Florida in the Atlantic Ocean September 18, 2021. After launching September 15, the crew of Inspiration4 spent about three days in orbit at approximately 575km, further than any humans since the Hubble missions. (Courtesy photo from SpaceX)