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 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.
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.
Never imagined a Netflix documentary when we kicked off @inspiration4x just 8 months ago. Amazing how fast things come together. Proceeds from this directly benefit @StJude & our $200 million fundraising objective. https://t.co/7Wslcd6m8a
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) August 3, 2021