Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space

With Branson and Bezos both launching themselves on suborbital trips to space social media was rife with narratives about billionaires escaping the planet and what an immense waste of resources these space joyrides are. Resources which could rather be used to solve problems here on Earth. Something that got completely lost in the outrage towards billionaires in space was the fact that space travel - the act of reaching for the stars - should be something inspirational and awe-inspiring.

The Inspiration4 mission is set to change all that. This mission is a magnificent counterpoint to the billionaire vanity projects, each trying to outdo the other (even if they have to resort to pedantic infographics). For the very first time in history a crew of civilian astronauts will launch into space, orbit for 3 days and return to Earth. These are normal everyday people. People who have gone that extra mile, done all the training a normal astronaut does and who, upon completion of their mission, will deserve the title of astronaut through and through.

Netflix has an amazing series chronicling the Inspiration4 crew's journey to space. And their stories are truly inspiring. I challenge you to watch this series and not be touched in some fundamental way. It manages to capture their sense of awe and excitement perfectly as they strive to push themselves and the boundaries of civilian space travel. I doubt you'll find anything more inspiring and touching.

With two days before Inspiration4 launches it's the perfect time to catch up with their journey. This is history in the making and understanding the background will make this achievement so much more profound.

Godspeed Inspiration4! I'll be watching every step of this amazing journey.