Plot Synopsis

From training to launch to landing, this all-access docuseries, directed by Jason Hehir, rides along with the Inspiration4 crew on the first all-civilian orbital space mission. Four civilians launch into space for a multi-day trip orbiting Earth, targeting approximately a 575km orbit, flying farther from Earth than any human since Hubble. Led and commanded by Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, the SpaceX Dragon mission, named Inspiration4, will make history as the world's first all-civilian mission into orbit. With exclusive access to the trailblazing mission, this series airs in five parts, taking viewers behind the scenes with the four crew members who are raising funds and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. From their unconventional selection and intensive months-long commercial astronaut training, to the intimate moments leading up to liftoff, their dream opportunity becomes a reality -- with all the mental, physical, and emotional challenges that come along with it. The final episode, which premieres just days after the mission is completed, captures the historic launch and the crew's journey into space, culminating in their triumphant splashdown and return to Earth.

The first two episodes of COUNTDOWN: INSPIRATION4 MISSION TO SPACE drop on Monday, September 6, 2021 on Netflix, followed by the next two episodes one week later on Monday, September 13. Then, Netflix releases a feature-length finale, "The Return Home," at the end of September:

Episode 1 (Monday, September 6, 2021): Preparations begin for the mission to send four civilians into orbit, and its charitable goals lead to a 29-year-old cancer survivor joining the crew.

Episode 2 (Monday, September 6, 2021): Principles of generosity and prosperity inform the selection of the last two crew members. Excitement for the flight ramps up, but anxiety lingers.