The launch of the first all-civilian Space X launch took place at 8pm eastern time, marking the first venture into space tourism. The private mission included 51 non-fungible tokens including the first song to ever be launched into space.
Included In the launches NFT collections is a never-before release performance of the band Kings of Leon single “Time in Disguise”, which will be the first ever NFT song to be played in orbit.
The Inspiration4 mission will raise money for st Judes Children’s Hospital and carries a scientific payload that has not yet been disclosed. The civilian crew includes Jared Isaacman who organized and underwrote the cost of the mission. Isaacman announced the sweepstake and competition in February of 2021, noting at the time his dream “to send a message that inspiration can create a world of infinite possibilities up in the stars, but most importantly here on Earth”.
The sweepstakes produced a total of $13 million, alongside the $100 million Isaacman had pledged to the charity.
As the first space mission without a professional astronaut on board, members include a former space camp counselor and data engineer, a geoscientist and science communication specialist, as well as an ambassador for the hospital and the first ever person to fly to space with a prosthesis.
On the Mission 4 website the cargo was described as allocated for crew essentials and scientific experiment, including the transportation of NFTs:
“The crew will conduct experiments designed to expand our knowledge of the universe. Crew Dragon’s 365lbs cargo capacity will be allocated for both crew essentials as well as scientific equipment dedicated to micro-gravity research and experimentation. Inspiration4 is committed to assigning the maximum possible mass towards this valuable research, providing access to space for inspiring projects that are otherwise unable to overcome the high barriers of traditional space-based research”
The CEO of Space X, Elon Musk, is known for being a vocal supporter of cryptocurrency and NFTs. The auction of the NFTs on board will end on September 17th following the successful ocean landing.
Kings of Leon commented on the mission in a statement:
“We’re honored to participate in this historic journey in an effort to raise money for St. Jude, and we’re sending all our best to the crew of Inspiration4,”
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