SpaceX Crew Dragon's first all-civilian mission is now getting star treatmentNetflix will produce a documentary called "Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space" that follows the adventures of the Inspiration4 crew, which is scheduled to launch to orbit for a three-day mission in 2021.On Tuesday, the entertainment company confirmed the production via Twitter. Twitter at Inspiration4 added their own comment to Wednesday's Netflix announcement: "Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space" on @netflix. It covers our crew's thrilling, out-of-this world journey.Similar: Learn how to fly a SpaceX Dragon from Inspiration4 (photos).Privately chartered Inspiration4 will fly four people to space in September. They include Jared Isaacman (a billionaire), Hayley Arceneaux, a cancer survivor (whom Isaacman invited), Chris Sembroski, data engineer Chris Sembroski, and Sian Proctor, a geoscientist, science communicator, and artist. Isaacman held contests to award Proctor and Sembroski seats in support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Proctor's seat was also awarded because Proctor's seat was at the same spot where she received her treatment years ago.Time Studios will co-produce the documentary, which is directed by Jason Hehir, creator of "The Last Dance" with Michael Jordan.According to Deadline, Inspiration4 represents a shift in Netflix's production to near-real-time documentary production. The launch of the mission is set for Sept. 15 and Netflix will release two episodes about it on September 6 and Sept. 13. The last episode of the series will go live at the end September. (Naturally this schedule assumes that the launch will occur on time.Deadline reported that the series would take viewers behind-the-scenes with four crew members, from their unusual selection and intense months-long commercial astronaut training to the intimate and emotional moments leading to liftoff. The final episode will be aired just days after the mission has ended. It will provide unprecedented access inside the spacecraft and capture the launch and crew.Similar: Learn how to fly a SpaceX Dragon from Inspiration4 (photos).From left, the Inspiration4 mission crew members Jared Isaacman (from left), Hayley Arceneaux and Sian Proctor pose at Kennedy Space Center in Florida Monday, March 29, 2021. SpaceX image creditA "hybrid animated live-action special for families and kids" will also be released by Netflix on Sept. 14, one day before launch. According to The Verge, this kid-friendly viewing option will help answer their questions about Inspiration4, including how rockets work and how astronauts eat and sleep in space.Netflix, like many streaming companies, has seen financial gains from the pandemic. Netflix stated in its July 2020 quarterly results, that its subscriber growth is still ahead of its forecast at 209 million paid members. However, the company has been experiencing "lumpiness" due to restrictions being eased and the pace of new subscribers slowing down.Netflix's decision not to co-produce Inspiration4 comes just weeks after two other billionaire passenger spaceflights successfully landed in July. In the days following those launches, extensive online commentary was generated about the crewed missions by Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity (including its founder Richard Branson) as well as Blue Origin's New Shepard.These discussions focused on the following main topics: whether billionaires are in competition (they both denied it even though Blue Origin published a snarky infographic regarding Virgin Galactic), the value of sending wealthy people into space and the future of space tourism, as well as questions Inspiration4 may be asking.Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @Spacedotcom
