Former astronaut talks Inspiration4 training ahead of 3-day mission

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - This week, four ordinary people are preparing for an extraordinary adventure: a three-day mission in space.

Inspiration4, commanded by CEO Jared Isaacman, has no real astronauts onboard.

"What they are doing is kind of like being a pirate pilot as opposed to being a Delta airlines pilot," said former astronaut Winston Scott.

Scott says their training is a spinoff of what real astronauts have to do to prepare.

"Their training is appropriate for what they are doing in orbit. Spending three days in orbit. So, what they are doing is very important and a good contribution to our space program but does not quite compare to what astronauts do in the real NASA program. NASA astronauts spend years preparing. Every mission you fly you have to spend at least a year. There is just so much that goes into a NASA spaceflight," Scott said.

RELATED: What you need to know about SpaceX's Inspiration4 1st all-civilian spaceflight

Since their announcement back in March, the crew spent the past six months completing a wide range of training activities, including simulations, zero-gravity plane training, and medical testing. 

New Crew Members Representing Prosperity and Generosity Join Hope and Leadership to Complete the Crew Manifest. (Credit: Inspiration4)

The crew familiarized themselves with the Dragon spacecraft, learned where mission supplies are stored and how to access items in case of emergency. They also watched the Crew-1 splashdown and recovery. 

"What they are doing really is opening up space to a large part of the community. And as we take more people, it needs to be simpler and more straightforward to accommodate those people," Scott said.

One of the crew's last steps is getting suited up for the first time in SpaceX spacesuits.  

"When you do the suit up for the dress rehearsal, now you know it is getting real… They probably can't sleep very well because they are so excited, and within two days, we are going to see these folks launch into orbit," Scott said.

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