--- title: "SpaceX’s Inspiration4 Already Blasted Past Jeff Bezos’ Highest Point" description: "Blast Off The Inspiration4 crew, the first all-civilian team made up of average Joes, is well on their way to reach their maximum apogee on baord a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Falcon 9 rocket took off at around 8 pm EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center tonight. It took just three minutes to blast […]" date: "2021-09-15" modified: "2021-09-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-inspiration4-jeff-bezos" categories: - "Future Society" - "Jeff Bezos" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "crew dragon" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX’s Inspiration4 Already Blasted Past Jeff Bezos’ Highest Point ![SpaceX just left its private space industry competitors in the dust after it took a crew of four civilians into orbit on Wednesday.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Blast Off On Wednesday evening, [SpaceX blasted off]() the Inspiration4 crew, the first all-private team to venture into orbit, on board its Crew Dragon spacecraft. After the Falcon 9 rocket [took off]() at around 8 pm EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, it took just three minutes to blast past the Kármán line, the internationally agreed upon edge of space — and, in doing so, it literally blasted past the competition. Virgin Galactic CEO Richard Branson, with the help of professional pilots, [rocketed to an apogee of just over 50 miles]() this summer. Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos, another space company billionaire, reached 66 miles, technically above the Kármán line, but [well below the kind of altitude]() and velocity required to enter orbit. Whether either of those flights can be called true spaceflight is the [subject of much debate](). But one thing is clear: SpaceX's Crew Dragon is going a whole lot further. In fact, it’s the highest altitude human astronauts have traveled since the last Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission in 2009. It's a historic moment and a milestone that could redefine private space travel — and a clear reminder that SpaceX has left its competitors in the dust. ## Falling Short Shortly after liftoff, the spacecraft settled into a nominal orbit, its second stage separated, and SpaceX's massive [glass dome or cupola]() opened up for some incredible views. The four civilians will spend three days in Earth's orbit, while Branson and Bezos only spend [a couple of minutes]() enjoying the effects of microgravity as their spacecraft fell back down to Earth. The price of admission, however, could be drastically different. A NASA estimate puts the cost of a trip on board a Crew Dragon trip to the International Space Station at [around $55 million](). For its trip high into the atmosphere, Virgin Galactic will charge an [estimated $450,000](), and Blue Origin will charge only [around $250,000]() — though, again, neither will reach orbit. All told, Elon Musk-led SpaceX has a massive head start — and it just made it a whole lot harder for its competitors to catch up. **More on the launch:** *[SpaceX Successfully Launches First All-Civilian Space Mission]()* ## 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]()