Relive SpaceX's historic Inspiration4 launch with these amazing photos

SpaceX's all-private Inspiration4 mission lifted off successfully on Sept. 15, 2021.
SpaceX's all-private Inspiration4 mission lifted off successfully on Sept. 15, 2021. (Image credit: Inspiration4/John Kraus)

There's nothing quite like a night launch — and this one was extra-special.

SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission launched Wednesday night (Sept. 15) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending an all-private crew into Earth orbit for the first time ever.

Inspiration4's Crew Dragon capsule, named Resilience, is carrying four non-professional astronauts: billionaire Jared Isaacman, who paid for the flight, and Hayley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor and Chris Sembroski. The quartet will circle our planet until Saturday (Sept. 18), when they'll come back down for an ocean splashdown.

If the Inspiration4 launch isn't already sufficiently seared into your brain, scroll through the gallery below, which features stunning photos of the liftoff from a variety of angles.

Live updates: SpaceX's Inspiration4 private all-civilian orbital mission
Video: Watch SpaceX launch the Inspiration4 civilian space mission

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook. 

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Mike Wall
Senior Space Writer

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.