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inspiration4makesithome The Inspiration4 manned space capsule re-entered the earth's atmosphere. It splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean without any problems. All four civilian astronauts emerged from the capsule in good health and with great spirits. (Can you imagine the party that awaited them when the helicopter took them back to dry land??!!)
I watched the SpaceX podcast of reentry and landing. Two young SpaceX engineers were the commentators. They projected a very nonchalant attitude. It was like the whole process was “just routine; “ like the landing of an airliner after a flight.
I could see the tension in the faces of the SpaceX personnel behind them in mission control. They had good reason to be tense. The Dragon capsule was making a reentry like no other Dragon Capsule had done before. They were coming in faster. The capsule would go to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit while crashing to earth. There is also the crucial issue of the alignment of the capsule as it starts to reenter the earth's atmosphere. It must be "mathematically perfect." If the capsule comes one degree too shallow, it will burn up, killing the four astronauts. If the capsule comes one degree too high, it will bounce off the earth's atmosphere and be stranded in space. Most likely, the crew would run out of life support and electricity before a rescue could be mounted.
This entire mission was a noble effort to raise money for a great hospital that has been in business for some 60 years-Saint Jude's Children's Hospital. This money-raising effort has been a success. The statistics vary wildly on how much money has been raised. Estimates start as low as "just under $200 million dollars" up to "more than $570 million dollars."