On September 15, 2021 History will be made when for the first time an all-civillion crew of astronauts will launch into space. Astronaut Chris Sembroski will bring a custom Martin Ukulele with him and perform in space on the three-day SpaceX mission orbiting earth. Upon return the uke will be auctioned to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The entire mission is also the focus of an upcoming Time / Netflix documentary.
More Details:
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About the Instrument…The C.F. Martin Inspiration4 Ukulele is an original work of art. The instrument is a one-of-a-kind soprano ukulele was made specifically for this SpaceX mission and is adorned with the Inspiration4 mission patch on the fingerboard, inlayed by master craftsman Brent Williams.
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For a Good Cause…After the mission, the uke, which will be played in space by Chris Sembroski, will be signed by the crew and auctioned off to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Inspiration4 mission has a goal of raising $200 M for St. Jude’s.
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To Boldly Go…Martin guitars and ukuleles have been just about everywhere on earth and beyond. In 1926, a Martin ukulele famously tagged along on Admiral Richard Byrd’s exhibition to the North Pole. And in 1994, the first guitar to ever go to space was a specially designed Martin Backpacker that hitched a ride with astronaut Pierre Thout on the Space Shuttle Columbia.
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Sustainably Sourced…Not only does the ukulele look and sound great, it is made from sinker mahogany, an environmentally friendly wood taken from logs that were submerged in the rivers of Belize over 200 years ago.
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About the Mission…Inspiration4 is the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit. The mission will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shift4 Payments and an accomplished pilot and adventurer. Inspiration4 will leave Earth from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A, the embarkation point for Apollo and Space Shuttle missions, and travel across a low earth orbit on a multi-day journey that will continually eclipse more than 90% of the earth’s population. Named in recognition of the four-person crew that will raise awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, this milestone represents a new era for human spaceflight and exploration. Launches 9/15 for 3-day flight. Website: https://inspiration4.com/mission
Specs on The Uke:
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The ukulele is a soprano uke – which is the smallest Martin Guitar makes and the same size as the Konter Uke which made the trip to the North Pole
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The body (top, back and sides) and the neck are made from sinker mahogany
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The result is a bass-rich sound and more volume than normal mahogany
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The bridge and fingerboard are made of FSC certified rosewood
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Inlay on the Uke of the Mission Patch is made of:
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Black – Gloss acrylic
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White- G10
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Light gray – G10
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Dark gray – Recon stone black mop
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Dark blue – Recon stone Dark Lapis
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Teal – Recon stone Chrysocolla
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Blue – Corian
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About Chris Sembroski
Chris Sembroski grew up with a natural curiosity about outer space. Stargazing late at night on the roof of his high school and launching high-powered model rockets in college cemented this passion. As a U.S. Space Camp counselor, he conducted simulated space shuttle missions and supported STEM-based education designed to inspire young minds to explore these areas and find their passions. As a college student, Sembroski volunteered with ProSpace, a grassroots lobbying effort that promoted legislation in Washington, D.C., to help open space travel and allow companies like SpaceX to exist. He then served in the U.S. Air Force, maintaining a fleet of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and deploying for service in Iraq before leaving active duty in 2007. Following his education from the Air Force, Sembroski earned a B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In his career, Sembroski has sought innovative, industry-disrupting methods to monitor and maintain mechanical equipment, making everything from data centers to hospitals more efficient. He now resides in Seattle, WA, and works in the aerospace industry at Lockheed Martin.
