Seats filled for first all-civilian spaceflight crew

Not gonna lie I spent over $400 trying to get on this flight. But, I am stoked for the person that won the sweepstakes. It is indeed an inspiration. I mean, I literally now see it as a possibility, as probable, that I’ll go to space in my lifetime. And I’m watching citizens go this year. Well done Musk and Isaacman.

Virgin Galactic launched 17 years ago with the goal of putting people over 100km up, based on a previously successful flight by spaceshipone<p>They failed miserably. Meanwhile spacex has been founded and got to the point commercial customers are about to go up, not just to 100km, but to orbital speeds.

&gt;&quot;“When this mission is complete, people are going to look at it and say this was the first time that everyday people could go to space,” Isaacman, 38, told reporters.&quot;<p>Did not Russia earn some cash for flying passengers to the ISS some time ago?

Bummer! That sweepstakes was probably the best chance I will ever have of getting into space. Unless someone invents a time machine and I can go back in time and get a degree in geology and become a test pilot in the Air Force (I think a background similar to that would give someone the best chance of getting to Mars)

Wrong. A founding principlal of NASA is that it is entirely a <i>civilian</i> agency. This was a big deal (no military overflights) and nasa vehicles are never armed. (One russian space station was, Almaz). And while NASA once handled spy satalites (Shuttle&#x27;s NRO launches) they were owned and operated by other civilian agencies (cia, nsa, nro etc).<p>Maybe they mean to say first crew without any <i>former</i> soldiers? Ok. That might be true, but is a fine line to draw. I have never heard of any other organization be openly proud of not employing veterans on a project. Does this mean that any country with mandatory military service, making everyone a former soldier, is unable to <i>ever</i> launch a civilian crew?

If you put them in a simulator they probably wouldn&#x27;t know the difference.

It doesn&#x27;t look like they are going to the ISS. If so I think this will be the first orbital space mission not going to space station. I know the spaceX capsule has been described as roomy by space standards but it&#x27;s still the size car. It&#x27;s definitely a very intimate setting.

People frown on (heavy) cars nowadays. Then there is some backlash to passenger jet flights that pump (near) tax free fuel. Private jets that basically do the same with less passengers. Now we have passenger space flight.<p>I&#x27;m not for &quot;climate shaming&quot; people into &quot;green behavior&quot;. I&#x27;m all for a fair and square pollution taxes, that every polluter has to pay.<p>But this kind of news make even me frown...