Four crew individuals of its Inspiration4 mission obtained their astronaut wings from SpaceX. But it can also no longer be sufficient to earn them their authentic commercial astronaut wings from the federal government.
Federal Aviation Administration said astronaut wings do not have any significance beyond their symbolic value. However, they are shortly turning into the extraterrestrial equivalent of a confirmed blue checkmark on Twitter as private businesses race to sell trips to space.
According to two FAA officials, the issue is that the people aboard SpaceX Inspiration4 mission are considered "spaceflight participants" as a substitute for "crew" in its FAA license application. Nevertheless, Elon Musk's house enterprise gave the crew astronaut wings anyway.
SpaceX Awards Astronaut Wings to Inspiration4 Crew
SpaceX had given the Inspiration4 crew participants their astronaut wings after the success of the first-ever all-civilian launch in history. The four individuals of the mission are Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor, and Chris Sembroski.
The mission's Twitter account wrote: "Our #Inspiration4 crew visited SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, CA yesterday, and was surprised with SpaceX Dragon astronaut wings!"
In a next tweet, Inspiration4 thanked those who presented the wings to the crew.
Special thank-you to the SpaceX employees who presented our astronauts with their Dragon wings on behalf of the entire SpaceX team. pic.twitter.com/XmXQXKJR10
— Inspiration4 (@inspiration4x) October 2, 2021
ALSO READ: Will Elon Musk Ever Go to Space? Billionaire SpaceX Founder Not Yet Sure When
According to Space.com, SpaceX's astronaut wings show a Crew Dragon pill at its center, a dragon's head and wings emerge. The crew member's name, call sign, and position can be found at the back of the pin.
The Inspiration4 crew has also expressed their thoughts on getting their astronaut wings in their respective Twitter accounts.
Hayley Arceneaux, who was the mission's medical officer, wrote on her Twitter account: "This beautiful symbol of our journey means everything to me."
TOPSHOT - The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Inspiration4 crew launches from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on September 15, 2021. - The Inspiration4 mission, the first to send an all-civilian crew to orbit, will venture deeper into space than the International Space Station.
FAA Reacts to Astronaut Wings SpaceX Gave the Team
Based on the FAA's new eligibility requirements, only "crewmembers" who flew at least 50 miles above Earth and demonstrated things necessary to public safety qualify for FAA Commercial Space Astronaut Wings.
The Inspiration 4 crew spent almost six months learning to operate an entirely independent Crew Dragon capsule. The spacecraft reached 357 miles above Earth. The International Space Station, meanwhile, orbits the Earth at an average altitude of approximately 250 miles.
An FAA official told CNN that no one is guaranteed to get wings. The official added that the organization hadn't decided one way or another because there is nothing to determine yet.
SpaceX's Inspiration4 Mission
The Inspiration4 is an all-civilian mission, which SpaceX launched into orbit on September 15. The crew orbited the Earth for three days earlier than splashing again down to the surface on September 18.
The mission aimed to raise $250 million to fund the childhood cancer lookup of the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. Hayley Arceneaux, a physician's assistant at St. Jude's, represents the sanatorium in the mission.
Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, contributed to the charitable reason by donating an extra $50 million.
It has been often stated that Inspiration4 has made history via being the first-ever all-civilian space mission. However, even certain members of the crew made records just being a part of the mission.
Hayley Arceneaux made history as the first-ever individual with prosthetics to go to space, Phys.org said. Arceneaux is a childhood bone cancer survivor. At 29, she also made records as the youngest American to ever go to space.
Sian Proctor, the geoscientist who served as the mission's pilot, is the first-ever black girl pilot of a spacecraft.
RELATED ARTICLE: SpaceX Inspiration4 Crew Now Back on Earth; Shares Stunning Footage of Planet During Historic Flight
Check out more news and information on SpaceX in Science Times.
