Spotlights dramatically illuminated the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and when the Inspiration4’s nine engines fired just soon after 8 pm ET, the surrounding wetlands were flooded with an explosion of light as the rocket took off into the upper atmosphere, decorating the night’s sky with an eerie light show.
Orbital speeds of over 17,000 miles per hour were reached before the capsule carrying the four space tourists detached from the rocket and began to steer towards its intended orbit. The passengers will remain onboard their 13-foot-wide SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for three days as it travels through orbit before returning to Earth for a splashdown landing just off the coast of Florida on Saturday.
The space tourists include billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman who self-funded the mission, a community college teacher, a cancer survivor, and a Lockheed Martin employee.
In the past, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said he is intent on making humans a "a multi-planet species" as he pioneers the private space industry and beyond.
