--- title: "SpaceX Shows Off Beautiful Dome for Next Month’s Space Tourists" description: "SpaceX has added a glass dome to its Crew Dragon spacecraft that will carry the first all-civilian astronaut crew around the Earth later this month." date: "2021-09-03" modified: "2021-09-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-dome-space-tourists" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "crew dragon" - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Shows Off Beautiful Dome for Next Month’s Space Tourists ![SpaceX has added a glass dome to its Crew Dragon spacecraft that will carry the first all-civilian astronaut crew around the Earth later this month.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Dragon Cupola SpaceX has made an exciting new modification to its Crew Dragon spacecraft that will carry the [first all-civilian astronaut crew]() around the Earth later this month. The capsule was [outfitted with a "Cupola]()," which Musk [described as a "glass dome]()" in a tweet earlier this year, that will offer the crew of four an unparalleled look at the Earth — and the space beyond it — from hundreds of miles off its surface. Since the capsule won't be docking with the International Space Station, it didn't need the extra docking mechanism on its nose cone, meaning these private space travelers will get a special treat on top of an already once-in-a-lifetime experience. https://twitter.com/inspiration4x/status/1433192632457564160 ## Say Cheese Photos [shared by the mission's official Twitter account]() show the crew sheepishly smiling at the camera through the glass dome. Earlier this year, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk [described the view on Twitter]() as "probably most 'in space' you could possibly feel by being in a glass dome." The cupola bears a resemblance to its [much bigger counterpart]() of the same name, which has offered astronauts on board the International Space Station an incredible view of our planet since February 2010. But while the ISS's Cupola module is made out of seven individual pieces of reinforced glass, Dragon's cupola appears to be made out of one uninterrupted piece — impressive, considering the sheer amount of forces acting on the material. Inspiriation4 is set to launch on September 15, if all goes well, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the crew spending three whole days orbiting the Earth. It's an unprecedented mission — with unprecedented views to boot. **More on the dome:** *[SpaceX Crew Dragon Will Feature Massive Glass Dome]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()