Inspiration4 was the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight, launching aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in 2021.
The mission launched on 15 September 2021 from Kennedy Space Center and carried Jared Isaacman, Sian Proctor, Hayley Arceneaux and Chris Sembroski. Unlike an ordinary tourist flight, Inspiration4 entered orbit around Earth and operated independently rather than traveling to the ISS.
Its crew reached an altitude higher than the station’s orbit and spent about three days in space before splashing down on 18 September. The mission also raised funds and public awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“All-civilian” means that none of the four crew members was a government-selected professional astronaut assigned to the flight. Several private missions followed, but Inspiration4 remains the mission associated with the first complete civilian orbital crew.