The groundbreaking Inspiration4 mission marks the first significant step toward opening up space travel to so-called “amateur astronauts,” with private space company SpaceX deploying its reusable rocket system to make it happen.
The day after the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket carrying Americans Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Dr. Sian Proctor, and Chris Sembroski, SpaceX tweeted a link to a page showing the precise location its Crew Dragon spacecraft as it orbits Earth. Scroll down the page to find the feature, then use the mouse to turn the globe and see where the spacecraft is heading. At the time of writing, it’s just about to pass directly over the U.S. from Texas to New England.
While orbiting 358 miles (575 kilometers) above Earth — more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) higher than the International Space Station — the crew will carry out various scientific experiments designed to advance human health and assist future long-duration spaceflights. They’ll also have time to drink in the jaw-dropping views through the spacecraft’s unique observatory dome.
