Inspiration4: SpaceX's First All-Civilian Space Mission

A Historic First: All-Civilian Crew Reaches Space

For the first time in history, a crew composed entirely of private citizens has successfully journeyed into space.

The Inspiration4 mission launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:04 p.m. EDT, marking a pivotal moment as the inaugural spaceflight without any professional astronauts onboard.

Falcon 9's Return and Dragon's Separation

The Falcon 9 rocket’s initial stage, designed for reuse, completed two controlled burns during its descent back to Earth.

It achieved a vertical landing on the SpaceX droneship, aptly named “Just Read the Instructions,” approximately nine and a half minutes after liftoff. Dragon successfully detached from the rocket’s second stage at 8:16 p.m. EDT.

Orbit and the Observation Dome

The four-member crew will reside within a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, integrated with a Falcon 9 rocket.

This Dragon capsule has flown once before, while the Falcon 9’s first stage has completed three missions. The crew will reach an altitude of roughly 575 kilometers – the highest altitude attained by humans since the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission in 2009.

This trajectory places them above the orbits of both the Hubble telescope and the International Space Station, meaning they will pass over all other people currently in space.

Throughout their mission, the crew will orbit the Earth approximately 15 times daily. They will have the opportunity to observe the cosmos through a unique transparent observation dome, or “cupola,” installed on the Crew Dragon’s nose cone.

This dome represents the largest single-piece window ever created for space travel.

Scientific Research in Orbit

Beyond space tourism, Inspiration4 is dedicated to conducting several science experiments in orbit.

These experiments focus on understanding the effects of spaceflight on the human body, with the crew members serving as research subjects by collecting biomedical data and biological samples before, during, and after the flight.

The Crew and Mission Funding

The mission is spearheaded by Jared Isaacman, the commander and primary funder, whose wealth stems from his payment processing company, Shift4 Payments.

The remaining crew members – physician assistant Hayley Arceneaux, geoscientist and science education doctorate Sian Proctor, and Lockheed Martin engineer Chris Sembroski – are exceptionally skilled and courageous individuals.

Fundraising for St. Jude

The mission is also a fundraising effort for St. Jude Research Hospital. Chris Sembroski was chosen from among nearly 72,000 donors to the St. Jude campaign.

The crew initially aimed to raise $200 million, but surpassed this goal before launch, accumulating nearly $300 million.

Extensive Mission Preparation

To prepare for this extended mission – significantly longer than previous civilian spaceflights – the crew underwent rigorous training.

This included hundreds of hours of simulations in a Dragon capsule replica and a challenging climb of Washington State’s Mount Rainier in May.

SpaceX and NASA Collaboration

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was present at Kennedy Space Center for the launch. The crew traveled to the launch tower in custom SpaceX spacesuits aboard two Model X vehicles.

While NASA’s direct involvement was limited to providing services and equipment valued at around $1 million, the agency played a crucial role in SpaceX’s development and success.

NASA awarded SpaceX $2.6 billion in 2014 to develop the Crew Dragon under the Commercial Crew program.

A Milestone for SpaceX and the Future of Spaceflight

This launch represents a significant achievement for SpaceX, currently the world’s largest and most profitable launch company.

The mission differs from recent flights by Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson in that the Inspiration4 crew will reach a higher altitude and remain in space for a longer duration.

However, all three companies share a common goal: to make spaceflight more accessible, evolving it “toward an airline-like model,” as stated by SpaceX senior director of human spaceflight Benji Reed.

“Ultimately, we want to make life multiplanetary, and that means putting millions of people in space,” Reed explained.

“The long-term vision is that spaceflight becomes airline-like [in that] you buy a ticket and you go.”

Future Missions and Return to Earth

SpaceX has additional crewed missions planned for this year, including flights to the International Space Station. The first commercial Axiom mission to the space station is scheduled for early next year.

“The Dragon manifest is getting busier by the moment,” Reed added.

The Inspiration4 crew is expected to return to Earth in three days, splashing down in either the Gulf or the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. Weather conditions will be a critical factor in the landing.

“We look at not only the launch weather but we have to look at the return weather [ … ] when we come home in just three or four days from now,” Reed explained.

During their time in orbit, listeners can enjoy a curated playlist created by Inspiration4’s Chris Sembroski, who also intends to play the ukulele in space.