If you have ever wondered what it’s truly like to be in outer space, this is for you.
Geoscientist and astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor – the first Black woman to pilot a spaceship and first person to paint in space – teamed up with TripAdvisor to give an honest review of her off-planet accommodations while on the 2021 SpaceX Inspiration 4 mission, the first all-civilian mission to orbit space.
From sleep quality and ambiance to location and amenities, Dr. Proctor reviewed her experience on TripAdvisor as she would a hotel.
Here’s what she had to say:
Location: 5/5
“The atmosphere was out of this world! We were 585 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, higher than the International Space Station, so we could see a large section of the planet surrounded by the darkness of space.”
Sleep quality: 5/5
“I had three days of sleeping in space and I loved it. Floating to sleep was amazing; I never once thought about needing a pillow. The only issue was waking up, having spatial disorientation and needing a moment to realize I was floating in space.”
Ambiance: 5/5
“We spent our entire three days in space inside the SpaceX Dragon capsule, and the ambiance was serene. There is the constant hum of fans circulating airflow throughout the cabin, which acts as white noise. Because you can float, the entire volume of the capsule is available to claim as space you can occupy.”
Amenities: 5/5
“We had iPhones and iPads, which allowed us to document our science experiments, capture special moments, listen to music and watch a movie — my favorite is ‘Contact’ — before drifting off to sleep…and of course, [we took] the ultimate selfies from space!”
Transportation: 5/5
“It only takes about eight minutes to get to space, and the ride on the SpaceX Falcon 9 was very smooth and enjoyable. As the mission pilot, I was laser focused on following the instrument readings and flight computer systems, and I could easily see and read my monitors, so there wasn’t that much shaking.”
Cleanliness: 4/5
“We did a great job of keeping our capsule tidy…There are storage bins for pretty much everything. The only issue was our water bottles — each bottle had a tiny Velcro dot that you used to stick it to the wall of the capsule, but they’d often get dislodged and float around.”
Food: 5/5
“The food was fantastic! SpaceX did a great job of asking us what we wanted to eat and accommodating our requests. They made me a delicious gluten free pepperoni pizza complete with jalapeños. I also had the best gluten free BLT sandwich along with olives, cheese, M&Ms and Skittles, with water and iced tea to drink.”
Rooms: 5/5
“I think I had the best sleeping quarters in the capsule. Normally you would tether your sleeping bag to your seat and float in it and go to bed, but there was enough room for me to sleep under the seat, just above the locker case. I loved having my own cubby hole down below my crew members!”
View: 5/5
“The cupola window gave us stunning views of Earth and was the best feature of the Dragon Capsule. We were traveling at 17,000 miles per hour, so we orbited the Earth every 90 minutes. We got to see a stunning sunrise or an incredible sunset every 45 minutes; we could see giant low pressure systems through the swirl of the clouds, the entire continent of Australia, the Andes Mountains, the lights of cities like Chicago illuminated at night against the black outline of the Great Lakes and constellations like Orion.”
Recreational areas: 5/5
“Painting in space was a highlight of my life and easier than I imagined. I am thankful to my crew for giving me the time and space to be able to complete — from scratch — a beautiful water painting of AfroGaia (Mother Earth) surrounded by Earthlight under a rising sun and a Dragon Capsule. The hardest part was keeping myself stable…I was weaving and bobbing as I tried to paint!”
Overall experience: 5/5
“Amazing and transformative. I got to discover Earthlight for myself, which has enabled me to see our world from an entirely new perspective. As soon as sunlight strikes our atmosphere, our planet transforms it into Earthlight through the process of absorption, scattering or reflection. It strips away dangerous parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, enabling life to exist. When we go outside and see the colorful world around us, it is the magic and beauty of Earthlight.”
Recommend to others: 5/5
“I highly recommend everyone go to space! There is nothing more magical or awe-inspiring than floating in space while being bathed in Earthlight. When you do go, request a minimum of five days…three days is just too short!”
Dr. Proctor’s review coincides with the 55th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11 — July 16, 1969 — which was the first spaceflight to land humans on the Moon in human history. July 20, the day Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, is International Moon Day.
For the majority of people, getting to space is a far-fetched idea, so TripAdvisor put together several space-focused itineraries, including the “Gateway to the Stars” as well as kid-friendly destinations.
That said, TripAdvisor is partnering with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) to highlight space tourism and exploration. More information can be found here.
You can read TripAdvisor’s full interview with Dr. Proctor here.