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SpaceX

Hawthorne, Calif.-based Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is a commercial company aiming to launch cargo, and eventually people, to low-Earth orbit. The firm is developing its Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 booster under contracts from NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program and its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.

Related Topics: Falcon Heavy, NASA, NASA Space Launch System, Orion Spacecraft

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The crewmembers of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission will likely spend a lot of time gazing at Earth from their Crew Dragon capsule's big cupola window.

SpaceX shows off Inspiration4's amazing view of Earth and new dome window

By Mike Wall

The big cupola window on Inspiration4's Crew Dragon capsule is going to get quite a workout over the next few days.

"Jude," the Inspiration4 crew's zero-g indicator, floats at the end of a tether after entering Earth orbit on Sept. 15, 2021.

Inspiration4 'space puppy' doubles as zero-g indicator and fundraiser on SpaceX mission

By Robert Z. Pearlman

The four civilian astronauts of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission sit inside their Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft for a dress rehearsal of their planned launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on Sept. 15, 2021.

SpaceX's Inspiration4 launch boosts population of space to record-breaking 14 people

By Mike Wall

The launch of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission last night (Sept. 15) brought the population of the final frontier to 14, one more than the previous high.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Inspiration4 mission on a Crew Dragon spacecraft, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SpaceX launches four civilians into orbit on historic Inspiration4 flight

By Amy Thompson

SpaceX made history tonight as it launched a crew of private citizens on a jaunt around Earth.

Inspiration4 mission pilot Sian Proctor.

Sian Proctor makes history with SpaceX's Inspiration4 as first-ever Black female spacecraft pilot

By Chelsea Gohd

Sian Proctor is making history as the first-ever Black female spacecraft pilot.

The Inspiration4 crew pose with their Crew Dragon spacecraft.

SpaceX's Inspiration4 all-civilian spaceflight: Here's what to know

By Elizabeth Howell

Here's everything you need to know about the private Inspiration4 mission on SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

The four civilian astronauts of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission sit inside their Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft for a dress rehearsal of their planned launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on Sept. 15, 2021.

How to watch SpaceX's private all-civilian Inspiration4 launch online today

By Elizabeth Howell

SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission is ready to launch to Earth orbit on Wednesday (Sept. 15), and you can watch the historic liftoff live.

The Inspiration4 crewmembers — Chris Sembroski, Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux and Sian Proctor — seen at the rollout of the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule that will carry them to orbit.

The Inspiration4 astronauts are stoked to launch on their history-making SpaceX mission

By Amy Thompson

SpaceX's private Inspiration4 mission is cleared for launch and the flight's four crewmembers are excited to blast off today (Sept. 15) to embark on a three-day journey around Earth.

The Inspiration4 crew, from left: Chris Sembroski, Sian Proctor, Jared Isaacman and Hayley Arceneaux.

Cold pizza among comfort foods for SpaceX's Inspiration4 orbital 'camping trip'

By Mike Wall

At least one of the Inspiration4 crewmembers will be munching on cold pizza as she zooms around Earth this week.

The four civilian astronauts of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission pose for a group portrait during a dress rehearsal of their planned launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on Sept. 15, 2021.

No launch day jitters for SpaceX's civilian Inspiration4 astronauts

By Tereza Pultarova

Participants of the Inspiration4 space mission feel no fear prior to the milestone launch, just a bit of stage fright as some of them prepare to sing and play ukulele during the flight.

Inspiration4 crewmembers Sian Proctor and Hayley Arceneaux as seen during altitude chamber training before flight. During the three day mission, Proctor, Arceneaux and their companions will conduct a range of medical research.

Inspiration4 crew planning ultrasounds, microbe samples and more to understand health during flight

By Amy Thompson

The crew of the first-ever all-civilian orbital spaceflight will conduct medical experiments during the flight that will help researchers better understand spaceflight's effects on the human body.

Artist's illustration of an Artemis astronaut stepping onto the surface of the moon.

NASA awards $146 million for human moon lander development

By Mike Wall

NASA is awarding a total of $146 million to five American companies to aid the development of crewed moon landers, agency officials announced Tuesday (Sept. 14).

The Inspiration4 crew, from left: Chris Sembroski, Sian Proctor, Jared Isaacman and Hayley Arceneaux.

Inspiration4's call signs: The crew of SpaceX's all-civilian mission have special nicknames

By Amy Thompson

Each member of the four-person crew has a unique call sign, a type of nickname that astronauts and military pilots are given during their training.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon that will launch the private orbital spaceflight dubbed Inspiration4, as seen during launch preparations.

SpaceX's all-civilian Inspiration4 mission launches today. Here's what to expect.

By Amy Thompson

SpaceX will launch its first all-civilian crew on a three-day journey around the Earth and you can watch the action live online.

The Inspiration4 crew are pictured inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Sept. 12, 2021, during a dress rehearsal for their Sept. 15 launch. From left: Chris Sembroski, Sian Proctor, Jared Isaacman and Hayley Arceneaux.

Private astronauts are not 'space tourists' (op-ed)

By Rick Tumlinson

The Inspiration4 mission will launch an all-civilian crew of culturally and socially blended people on a mission funded by a billionaire. None of them will be tourists.

The Inspiration4 crew is flying to space custom jackets, watches, pens and ukulele among other items to auction after the mission to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

From Etsy to Earth orbit: Inspiration4 crew packs mementos for space (and sale)

By Robert Z. Pearlman

Hayley Arceneaux is about to be the first person with a prosthetic body part to enter space. She'll be the youngest American to orbit Earth. And she may be the first to shop on Etsy for space gear.

Four people — none of them trained astronauts — are scheduled to launch into orbit aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule on Sept. 15, 2021.

SpaceX Inspiration4 mission will send 4 people with minimal training into orbit — and bring space tourism closer to reality

By Wendy Whitman Cobb

Organized and funded by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the Inspiration4 mission touts itself as "the first all-civilian mission to orbit" and represents a new type of space tourism.

On September 15, Netflix is hosting a livestream to celebrate the Inspiration4 launch.

Watch Netflix's SpaceX Inspiration4 launch webcast with this celebrity-packed countdown event

By Chelsea Gohd

Are you counting down to SpaceX's Inspiration4 launch? Join celebrity guests and the mission's four soon-to-be astronauts for a livestream, hosted by Netflix.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman, the financier of SpaceX's Inspiration4 private spaceflight, poses with inside the Dragon Cupola window that will be used on the historic all-civilian space mission.

The private Inspiration4 astronauts on SpaceX's Dragon may have an epic view … from the toilet

By Amy Thompson

The four Inspiration4 astronauts launching SpaceX's first-ever all-civilian spaceflight this week will have arguably the best bathroom view in human history.

Spaceflight Inc. will ferry a payload for GeoJump and Orbit Fab, an in-space refueling payload, on a lunar flyby as part of the Intuitive Machines robotic lunar landing mission in late 2022. This diagram shows the location of Spaceflight's Sherpa-ES transfer vehicle to carry the payloads.

Spaceflight Inc. unveils rideshare payloads for lunar flyby on private moon lander mission in 2022

By Elizabeth Howell

We now know which companies hitch a ride to the moon with Spaceflight Inc. as part of a robotic lunar landing mission by Intuitive Machines in 2022.