SpaceX’s all-civilian crew makes history
A new era of space travel blasted off from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday night with the launch of the all-civilian crew aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
The four members of the Inspiration4 mission – its billionaire sponsor, two contest winners and a health care worker – rode in what is only the fourth trip for a Crew Dragon with humans on board after its first three missions ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station. This is the first time any craft in 60 years of space travel has flown without at least one professional astronaut on board. The flight is targeting three days in space but could go longer.
It’s SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s first entry in the competition for space tourism dollars.