SpaceX sent ordinary people into space. How did it all go?
Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2025 4:53 am
On the night of September 16, SpaceX successfully launched not professional astronauts, but ordinary space tourists into space. They were businessman Jared Isaacman, children's hospital employee Hayley Arsenaux, US Air Force veteran Christopher Sembroski and teacher Sian Proctor. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle was launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral and brought the Crew Dragon passenger ship to an altitude of 575 kilometers. The civilian crew will stay in space for three days, the spacecraft orbits the Earth every 90 minutes. As part of the mission, the team will not only enjoy the views of space, but also conduct scientific experiments, but what exactly is unknown. All because entrepreneur Jared Isaacman did not want the flight to turn into a banal “fishing trip with friends”. The flight participants are confident that their mission will make space flights accessible to everyone. Of course, provided that those interested have enough money for such trips.
Launching space tourists on a SpaceX ship
The Falcon 9 launch took place on September 16 at 3:03 a.m. Kyiv time. Approximately 3 minutes after launch, the first stage of the rocket separated and smoothly landed on the Just Read the Instructions platform in the Atlantic Ocean. A few minutes later, the Crew Dragon spacecraft separated from the second stage and successfully entered an orbit at an altitude of 575 kilometers. After a three-day journey, the capsule with amateur astronauts should land in the Atlantic Ocean.
The first thing the space tourists did was look out into space through a transparent dome located in the forward fairing of the ship. It was installed in place of the airlock door normally used for docking with the International Space Station. The same fairing also houses a toilet for astronauts.
What exactly the astronauts will do during the mission, besides admiring the space, is unknown. But they definitely have some purpose, because Jared Isaacman didn’t want them to fly into space “in vain.” And that’s commendable, because an expensive space flight should benefit science.
Inspiration 4 mission objective
How much exactly a tourist flight into space on a SpaceX ship costs is unknown. Jared Isaacman paid the required amount in full. Together with him, Hayley Arsenaux, an employee of St. Jude Hospital, where children with cancer are treated, went on the flight. Pilot Christopher Sambroski and teacher Sian Proctor received tickets to the ship as a result czech republic number data of a contest in which those who wanted to donate money to the hospital and got a chance to fly into space. During the contest, $ 15 million was collected , and another $ 100 million was donated by Jared Isaacman himself. Tourist Hayley Arsenaux took a record of an American rock band with her into space and plans to sell it at auction to raise even more money for the hospital. In total, they plan to reach the amount of $ 200 million.
Six months ago, they were just ordinary people, and then, by chance, they began preparing for a space flight and ended up there. According to Jared Isaacman, the day of the flight should be a harbinger of the future:
"After all, we know that someday, in 50 or 100 years, a lunar base will be built and, perhaps, even a Martian settlement. And all this has to start somewhere. When our mission is over, people will say that this was the first time that ordinary people went into space," the entrepreneur noted.
The cost of space tourism
Most likely, in the future there will really be much more tourist flights into space. But not all people will be able to afford it. The thing is that such trips are a very expensive pleasure. Virgin Galactic is ready to send people into space for 450 thousand dollars, and this is the cost of only one ticket. Both single flights and group fares for traveling with family or friends are available to customers. If you have the desire and the money, you can buy the entire flight.
In addition to SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, space tourism services are offered by Blue Origin. It was founded by the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, who also recently flew into space and fulfilled his childhood dream. On the eve of his flight, the company started selling tickets - in 2 days people bought them for a total of $ 100 million. However, there is still no information about their exact cost.
Launching space tourists on a SpaceX ship
The Falcon 9 launch took place on September 16 at 3:03 a.m. Kyiv time. Approximately 3 minutes after launch, the first stage of the rocket separated and smoothly landed on the Just Read the Instructions platform in the Atlantic Ocean. A few minutes later, the Crew Dragon spacecraft separated from the second stage and successfully entered an orbit at an altitude of 575 kilometers. After a three-day journey, the capsule with amateur astronauts should land in the Atlantic Ocean.
The first thing the space tourists did was look out into space through a transparent dome located in the forward fairing of the ship. It was installed in place of the airlock door normally used for docking with the International Space Station. The same fairing also houses a toilet for astronauts.
What exactly the astronauts will do during the mission, besides admiring the space, is unknown. But they definitely have some purpose, because Jared Isaacman didn’t want them to fly into space “in vain.” And that’s commendable, because an expensive space flight should benefit science.
Inspiration 4 mission objective
How much exactly a tourist flight into space on a SpaceX ship costs is unknown. Jared Isaacman paid the required amount in full. Together with him, Hayley Arsenaux, an employee of St. Jude Hospital, where children with cancer are treated, went on the flight. Pilot Christopher Sambroski and teacher Sian Proctor received tickets to the ship as a result czech republic number data of a contest in which those who wanted to donate money to the hospital and got a chance to fly into space. During the contest, $ 15 million was collected , and another $ 100 million was donated by Jared Isaacman himself. Tourist Hayley Arsenaux took a record of an American rock band with her into space and plans to sell it at auction to raise even more money for the hospital. In total, they plan to reach the amount of $ 200 million.
Six months ago, they were just ordinary people, and then, by chance, they began preparing for a space flight and ended up there. According to Jared Isaacman, the day of the flight should be a harbinger of the future:
"After all, we know that someday, in 50 or 100 years, a lunar base will be built and, perhaps, even a Martian settlement. And all this has to start somewhere. When our mission is over, people will say that this was the first time that ordinary people went into space," the entrepreneur noted.
The cost of space tourism
Most likely, in the future there will really be much more tourist flights into space. But not all people will be able to afford it. The thing is that such trips are a very expensive pleasure. Virgin Galactic is ready to send people into space for 450 thousand dollars, and this is the cost of only one ticket. Both single flights and group fares for traveling with family or friends are available to customers. If you have the desire and the money, you can buy the entire flight.
In addition to SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, space tourism services are offered by Blue Origin. It was founded by the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, who also recently flew into space and fulfilled his childhood dream. On the eve of his flight, the company started selling tickets - in 2 days people bought them for a total of $ 100 million. However, there is still no information about their exact cost.