SpaceX Shares First Images From All-Civilian Inspiration4 Space Trip
The crew completed more than 15 orbits around Earth on their first day.
SpaceX‘s Inspiration4 on Friday shared the first images from day one of their historic first-ever all-civilian space trip.
The photos shared to Twitter show the crew floating in zero gravity inside the capsule and admiring the view of Earth through the Crew Dragon cupola window. While orbiting Earth, the crew, which consists of mission commander Jared Isaacman, medical officer Hayley Arceneaux, mission specialist Chris Sembroski and mission pilot Sian Proctor, spoke to patients from St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and answered their questions from the capsule.
“The crew of Inspiration4 had an incredible first day in space,” the tweet reads. “They’ve completed more than 15 orbits around planet Earth since liftoff and made full use of the Dragon cupola.”
The crew of #Inspiration4 had an incredible first day in space! They’ve completed more than 15 orbits around planet Earth since liftoff and made full use of the Dragon cupola. pic.twitter.com/StK4BTWSA6
— Inspiration4 (@inspiration4x) September 17, 2021
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft launched out of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday evening. As part of the Inspiration4 mission, the crew will follow a distinct flight path monitored by the spaceflight company, while traveling at speeds higher than 17,000 miles per hour at an altitude of 575 kilometers. Once the mission is complete, the Dragon spacecraft will make a water landing off the coast of Florida.
Follow along with the mission using SpaceX’s online tracker.
Earlier this week, SpaceX shared a breathtaking video of Earth from the Dragon cupola.
