SpaceX will equip the Crew Dragon spacecraft for the first civilian mission with a huge glass dome

The four astronauts who are preparing to fly on SpaceX’s first all-civilian mission this month will enjoy a stunning view as they enter orbit.

The Inspiration4 crew, which will launch on September 15th, will fly into space aboard the Crew Dragon with a huge glass dome instead of a docking station.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon dome was first unveiled in March when the crew of the Inspiration4 mission was announced. Then the head of SpaceX Elon Musk touted the panoramic view of space from the dome as something really fantastic. Crew Dragon has other windows through which crew members can admire views of space, but they are much smaller in size and are located on the sides of the ship.

The dome will replace the docking port in the bow of the spacecraft, which is unnecessary since the Crew Dragon of the Inspiration4 mission will not dock with the ISS.

Inspiration4 is a fully civilian flight funded by billionaire businessman Jared Isaacman, who leads the mission. The crew will include geophysicist Sian Proctor, physician assistant Hayley Arcenaux and data engineer Chris Semborski.