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Fly to Space With SpaceX’s First Civilian Mission, but From Your Couch

This is probably not what SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had in mind when he said SpaceX was working toward providing “space access for everyone,” but it’s a small step in that direction. And you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your couch.
Netflix announces 5-part docuseries on the SpaceX Dragon mission Inspiration4 7 photos
Photo: Netflix
Netflix announces 5-part docuseries on the SpaceX Dragon mission Inspiration4Netflix announces 5-part docuseries on the SpaceX Dragon mission Inspiration4SpaceX Crew Dragon going vertical on the launch padSpaceX Crew Dragon going vertical on the launch padSpaceX Crew Dragon going vertical on the launch padSpaceX Crew Dragon going vertical on the launch pad
Netflix has announced a five-part docuseries documenting the September 15 launch of the SpaceX Dragon mission called Inspiration4, which will be the first all-civilian mission to orbit. It is the first “near-real time” program for the network and will strive to educate viewers at home on the challenges, risks and benefits of space travel.

The documentary is called Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, and will be directed by Jason Hehir, whose most recent credit includes the Michael Jordan doc The Last Dance. The first four episodes will focus on the days leading up to the launch, and will air on September 6 and 13 in batches of two, showing training, emotional moments, and challenges. Have a hankie nearby, is what we’re saying.

The “feature-length finale” will air at the end of month, if the schedule for the SpaceX launch holds and Inspiration4 kicks off on the 15th, The Wrap reports. It will “feature unprecedented access inside the spacecraft capturing the launch and the crew’s journey to space, as well as their return home to Earth,” as per the network.

Inspiration4 is the first step toward making space available to private individuals by SpaceX. The four people who will be flying higher into space than the International Space Station (ISS) are Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift 4 Payments, geosciences professor Sian Proctor, physician assistant Hayley Arceneaux, and US Air Force veteran Chris Sembroski. Isaacman is using the mission to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, half of which he donated himself when he signed on for the mission.

With Netflix declaring September the month when everybody “goes” to space, they’re also preparing something for the kids. A StoryBots Space Adventure is a “hybrid live-action animation special for kids and families” airing on September 14 and offering the basics on space exploration, from how rockets fly and what astronauts eat while on a mission.

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Editor's note: Gallery includes photos of SpaceX Crew Dragon on the launching pad.

About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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