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SpaceX's latest launch, scheduled to lift off at8:02 p.m. Wednesday, carries with it a distinct Daytona Beach angle. The missionis ceiling-breaking in at least five ways. Here they are, in countdown fashion:

The Inspiration4 launch is most noteworthy because it will be the first space flight crewed by all civilians. Jared Isaacman, the commander, is a New Jersey-born billionaire businessman who bought his ride from SpaceX and its billionaire founder, Elon Musk.

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Isaacman's team includes:

This won't be the first time Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduates have gone into space. Six NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut attended ERAU.

Now, add two more to that list.

Isaacman, a high school dropout who founded his first company at age 11, graduated from Embry-Riddle's Worldwide Campus in 2011.

Sembroski graduated from ERAU's Worldwide Campusin 2007.

In a recent Q-and-A with Embry-Riddle staff, Sembroski said of his time there: "Going to Embry-Riddle opened up some new doors that I did not know even existed. Being able to explore interests in high-powered rocketry, government space policy, engineering, human factors, computer science, and even in stage production and drama, I was able to follow my passions and learn about the world of aerospace at a place that is like no other."

Their involvement in Inspiration4 has the campus abuzz.

Everyone at Embry-Riddle is excited about the mission and proud of our Eagles, Jared and Chris, university President Barry Butler said. We wish the whole Inspiration4 crew a very safe and successful mission. We thank them for being a source of inspiration to students who may wish to follow in their footsteps.

Inspiration4 will leave Earth aboard the Dragon spacecraftfrom Kennedy Space Centers historic Launch Complex 39A.

When the crew launches, they'll be launching to an orbit of about 575 kilometers (or nearly 360 miles)," Benjamin Reed, director of SpaceX, said at a news conference Tuesday. "This is significant and historic because it's going to be the highest that humans have gone into orbit since the Hubble servicingmission and, in fact, they'll be above the current orbit of the Hubble and the current orbit of the International

Space Station."

The flight is scheduled to circle Earth once every 90 minutes for three days, traveling at roughly 22 times the speed of sound. Splashdown is expected somewhere off the coast of Florida.

Want to know more? The crew is featured in a Netflix series, "Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space."

The series profiles the crew and follows them on their training, including a hike to the top ofMt. Rainier and a flight in a fighter jet to simulate G forces.

The documentary is part of Inspiration4's mission: to inspire future generations to explore.

"Space to inspire has always been my motto as a teacher," Proctor said. "And when I was talking to my students, the thing about it was when I would say, "space to inspire," they were thinking outer space, but really, it's this space, your space. We all have this unique space that we carry with us everywhere we go, and getting to know what makes us passionate andhow to share our unique gifts with the world is so important."

The crew has been engaged in a fund-raising mission forSt. Jude Research Children's Hospital, which serves children with cancer and other diseases.Isaacman pledged to give a match of up to$100 million, making the goal $200 million.

With any kind of great endeavor like this comes a lot of responsibility," Isaacman said in a March interview onEmbry-Riddle's Aviation Outlook on YouTube. Youve got to achieve this great balance of making progress in advancing the world for a ton of great benefits … but you also have an obligation to take care of some of the problems and challenges were faced with today. This mission achieves balance on both."

We are trying to deliver a very powerful and inspiring message to the world, Isaacman said.

Butler, the ERAU president, said their philanthropic mission exemplifies "Eagle values," or being of service to one another.

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Countdown to SpaceX Inspiration4 launch: 5 things you should know, including ERAU's part - Daytona Beach News-Journal