SpaceX crewmember has colorful response to first view of Earth

By Trevor Mogg Published April 28, 2022

A new video shared by SpaceX’s first all-civilian crew captures their look of awe as they peer out of the spacecraft’s cupola for the first time to see the magnificent sight of Earth 357 miles (575 kilometers) below.

Tweeted by crewmate Dr. Sian Proctor and retweeted by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to his 60 million followers, the video includes the perfect soundtrack, one that every movie fan will instantly recognize: Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra, which was famously used in the opening sequence of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Recommended Videos

The footage also includes crewmate Chris Sembroski’s colorful and off-color response to the awesome view: “Holy shit!”

https://twitter.com/DrSianProctor/status/1440406356670894080

Considering the breathtaking scenery and the swirl of emotions he must have felt while gazing at Earth during his first and only trip to space, Sembroski’s heartfelt response is perfectly understandable. In fact, everyone else did really well to avoid rolling out some choice expletives during what must have been a very special moment.

SpaceX has flown many Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, but this is the first one to be fitted with an all-glass dome for panoramic views of our planet and beyond. During launch and landing, the cupola is protected by the spacecraft’s nose cone. Inside the craft, access to the cupola and that incredible view is achieved by pulling back a hatch, a process shown in the video.

Another video captured by a camera close to the cupola shows a beautiful orbital sunset.

View of an orbital sunset from Dragon's cupola pic.twitter.com/Fl1fLrXD9o

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 18, 2021

Sembroski flew to space last week as part of the Inspiration4 mission. Traveling alongside him in what was essentially SpaceX’s first space tourism trip were mission commander Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, and Proctor, who captured the video.

The crew returned safely to Earth on Saturday, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Florida.

Shift4 Payments founder Isaacman secured the flight in a private deal with SpaceX. He said the mission’s main purpose was to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, though during their three days in space, the crew also conducted various science experiments in microgravity conditions.

SpaceX looks set to use the successful Inspiration4 mission as the launchpad for more space trips using civilian-only crews. However, anyone paying SpaceX big bucks for an orbital adventure won’t be able to simply turn up and hop aboard the Crew Dragon. The Inspiration4 crew underwent intense training over the last six months to prepare for their ride of a lifetime, with subsequent crews expected to do the same.

For highlights of the historic mission, check out Digital Trends’ collection of images and videos showing the voyage from launch to landing.

Topics

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Space

What to expect from SpaceX’s sixth megarocket test flight

SpaceX's Super Heavy launch during the fifth test flight of the Starship.

As it unleashes a record 17 million pounds of thrust at launch, the sight of SpaceX’s 120-meter-tall Starship rocket roaring skyward is something to behold.

The Elon Musk-led spaceflight company has already performed five Starship flights since the first one in April 2023, with each one more successful than the last. Comprising the upper-stage Starship spacecraft and the first-stage Super Heavy booster (collectively known as the Starship), the giant vehicle willo be used by NASA for crew and cargo missions to the moon, Mars, and possibly beyond.

Space

SpaceX reveals date for next flight of Starship megarocket

The Starship launching from Starbase in October 2024.

SpaceX has revealed that it is targeting Monday, November 18, for the sixth test of the Starship, the world’s most powerful rocket comprising the first-stage Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft.

The massive vehicle, which creates around 17 million pounds of thrust at launch, is set to be used by NASA for crew and cargo missions to the moon, and possibly even Mars, though there’s still much testing to be done.

Space

A SpaceX Crew Dragon is doing a shuffle at the ISS — here’s how to watch

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov approaches the International Space Station as it orbits 259 miles above Oregon.

This week will see a special maneuver at the International Space Station (ISS) as a SpaceX Crew Dragon takes one of the tiniest flights ever, hopping just a few meters over from one port of the station to another. And NASA will live stream the event, so you'll be able to watch the spacecraft take this short flight as it happens.

The changeover is necessary to make space for another SpaceX craft that will arrive on Monday, October 4. But this new arrival won't carry any crew as it is a cargo craft, part of the 31st commercial resupply services mission by SpaceX. This new arrival will dock at the forward-facing port on the Space Station's Harmony module, as it is easiest for craft to dock there than on the space-facing side. But the Crew Dragon is currently occupying this port, so it needs to undock, move to the other space-facing port, and redock there.