A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital flight.
The mission lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on September 15, 2021. Its Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Resilience, carried Jared Isaacman, Sian Proctor, Hayley Arceneaux, and Chris Sembroski into orbit.
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and operated by SpaceX. Its first stage can return to Earth and land for reuse, while the second stage places the payload or spacecraft on its intended trajectory. Inspiration4 used a previously flown Falcon 9 first stage.
The mission is sometimes confused with SpaceX’s earlier crewed NASA flights, which also used Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon. Inspiration4 was different because all four passengers were private citizens rather than professional government astronauts.