A trip worth $55 million per person

A crew composed entirely of private citizens blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center on a flight to the International Space Station Friday morning, marking yet another milestone in the growth of the commercial space sector.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 11:17 a.m., carrying three wealthy entrepreneurs, each of whom paid $55 million, and a former NASA astronaut, who is serving as their guide. While private citizens have for years flown to the space station on Russian rockets, the venture is the first all-private mission to the station.

The crew members say they will be engaged in meaningful research and bristle at being labeled “space tourists.”