SpaceX will use a new version of its Crew Dragon capsule for its first-ever all-civilian space mission in September. And it will include a view like no other from the bathroom.
The Crew Dragon capsule taking Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor, and Christopher Sembroski on the three-day orbital space trip will include a glass cupola through which they’ll be able to enjoy breathtaking panoramas of Earth and beyond. And, as Isaacman told Insider recently, that also happens to be where the Crew Dragon’s toilet is located.
Commenting on the revelation, the mission commander and Shift4 Payments CEO said, “When people do inevitably have to use the bathroom, they’re going to have one hell of a view.” It may also mean that visitors will stay inside for longer than usual as they gaze in wonderment at the stunning spectacle before them (that’s Earth, not the toilet).
Although the glass cupola will offer by far the best views, the capsule also has four smaller windows through which crew members will be able to enjoy the incredible scenery.
Isaacman said that as the Crew Dragon is pretty small, the bathroom doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy, but he added that it does include a privacy curtain that you can pull across to separate yourself from fellow crew members.
The spacecraft’s bathroom sure beats the one on the International Space Station (ISS), which is located in a tiny windowless room. Details regarding the operation of the Crew Dragon’s toilet are yet to be revealed, but it’s likely that as the crew will be orbiting Earth in microgravity conditions, hoses and bags will feature heavily when it comes to doing the business.
SpaceX’s capsule is already carrying astronauts and cargo between Earth and the ISS on regular missions, but that particular version doesn’t have a glass dome, as that’s where the docking mechanism is located. With the Inspiration4 mission only orbiting Earth, engineers saw an opportunity to add the glass dome to make the trip (and bathroom trips!) all the more special.
Isaacman arranged the Inspiration4 mission in a private deal with SpaceX and aims to use it to raise awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The other three crew members applied to join the mission, though Isaacman will be covering all of the costs. The crew, which is currently in training, recently shared photos of the spacesuits they’ll be wearing during their three-day adventure.
SpaceX will launch the Inspiration4 crew on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A in September.
