Updated 11:44 PM EDT, Sat September 18, 2021
A 200-foot-tall SpaceX rocket launched four people — none of whom are professional astronauts — into Earth's orbit on Wednesday.
They returned safely on Saturday evening, splashing down off the coast of Florida.
This mission, dubbed Inspiration4, was the first orbital mission in the history of spaceflight to be staffed entirely by tourists or otherwise non-astronauts. It was billed as the beginning of a new era of space travel for average people.
During the crew's three-day journey aboard the 13-foot-wide Crew Dragon capsule, it whipped around the planet every 90 minutes while taking in panoramic views.
The crew trained for this flight for the past six months. It was comprised of 38-year-old billionaire Jared Isaacman, who personally financed the trip; Hayley Arceneaux, a 29-year-old physician assistant; Sian Proctor, a 51-year-old geologist and community college teacher; and Chris Sembroski, a 42-year-old Lockheed Martin employee and lifelong space fan who claimed his seat through an online raffle.
