--- title: "There’s a Morse Code Message Hidden in Photo of SpaceX Tourists" description: "SpaceX hid a little Easter egg in the background of a photo of the Inspiration4 crew, who are heading to space later this week." date: "2021-09-13" modified: "2021-09-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-tourists-morse-code-ad-astra" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "crew dragon" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # There’s a Morse Code Message Hidden in Photo of SpaceX Tourists ![SpaceX hid a little Easter egg in the background of a photo of the Inspiration4 crew, who are heading to space later this week.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Ad Astra The all-civilian crew of this week's historic [Inspiration4 SpaceX flight]() recently put on their custom tailored spacesuits to pose for a photo. And, it turns out, SpaceX hid a little Easter egg in the background of the shot. Internet sleuths at the SpaceXLounge subreddit [discovered the hidden message]() written out in Morse code: "Ad astra." While that is indeed the name of of the 2019 sci-fi blockbuster starring Brad Pitt, it also means "to the stars" in Latin — an apt phrase for a space crew photo shoot. Inspiration4 crew member and science communicator Sian Proctor, meanwhile, more or less confirmed the message. "Ad astra!" [she tweeted](). https://twitter.com/DrSianProctor/status/1437303708874940420 ## Inspiration4 The photo was [shared by SpaceX's official Twitter account]() early Monday morning. Other images show the team posing in various locations, from the Tesla Model X vehicles that will ferry them to the launch pad to the inside of the Crew Dragon spacecraft. If all goes according to plan, the Crew Dragon will launch the four into orbit at 8pm Eastern time on Wednesday. The plan is to spend around three days circling the Earth at an altitude of roughly 357 miles, well above the International Space Station's orbit. Splashdown is scheduled for September 19 somewhere off the coast of Florida. It's a historic moment for private spaceflight. None of the four crew members completed NASA astronaut training. But they were put through their paces regardless, including a 30-hour simulation of the flight that [almost ended in disaster](). So for now, good luck Inspiration4! Make sure to take some pictures — and remember: if anything goes wrong, [there's always duct tape](). **More on the flight:** *[Hidden Compartment on SpaceX Spacecraft Contains Emergency Duct Tape]()* ## 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]()