The all-civilian crew of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission described their three-day trip to space as 'awe-inspiring' and 'emotional' in their first interview since returning to Earth.
The four crew members - Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor and Chris Sembroski - told NBC's Lester Holt on Monday that memories of the trip would be with them for the rest of their lives.
'That last view of the Earth in the cupola made me emotional, because it was just so awe-inspiring, and I knew I'd be thinking about that for the rest of my life,' Arceneaux, 29, said in the interview.
The all-civilian crew of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission said the three-day trip to space was 'awe-inspiring' and 'emotional' in their first interview since returning to Earth
'That last view of the Earth in the cupola made me emotional, because it was just so awe-inspiring, and I knew I'd be thinking about that for the rest of my life,' Hayley Arceneaux (pictured) said
'Our name is Inspiration,' Proctor added. 'To be able to capture that view and bring it back to Earth is special.'
Proctor, 51, made history as the first black woman to serve as a spacecraft pilot and said her experience was meaningful to her, after she was a finalist to become a NASA astronaut in 2009, but was not selected.
'Being able to talk to girls of color, and women of color, about my experience, and even older women who sometimes when you think the best part of your life has passed you by as you've gotten older, that there's still a lot to learn, a lot to explore, a lot to do,' Proctor explained.
'It's just amazing. This is the best way that I could ever imagine going to space with these individuals in this way with SpaceX. I'm thrilled.'
'Our name is Inspiration,' Sian Proctor (pictured) added. 'To be able to capture that view and bring it back to Earth is special'
Arceneaux, who is a St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital physician assistant and was treated for bone cancer at 10 years old, added that she hopes the mission will inspire people, despite the fact she thinks of herself as an 'ordinary person.'
'It’s hard for me to wrap my head around because I think of myself as an ordinary person, but I hope that people can relate to me,' she said.
'I’ve had some difficulties in life, but I think everyone has in some way,' she continued.
'I think everyone has had to overcome something, and I just I hope that people can look at my story and know that holding on to hope, that there will be better days, is so important.'
Last month, Arceneaux gave details of her six-month long training, which included centrifuge training, studying and 'spending lot of time in the simulator.'
The crew began their journey at 4:07pm ET on September 15, when the four individuals emerged from Hangar X from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was also present to see the crew off and appeared to be just as excited as the team going to space on board a modified Crew Dragon module.
The Inspiration4 crew splashed downed in the Atlantic Ocean near Florida on September 18 shortly after 7 pm, bringing an end to their historic three-day mission orbiting Earth, 360 miles above the surface.
The Dragon capsule descended towards Earth on four chutes before gently landing in the water as the module floated on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.
Four main chutes open as the Inspiration4 capsule descends back to earth after a three-day mission in space
The Inspiration4 capsule carrying four civilian crew members makes a safe return to earth as it lands in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday
Although this is not the first time civilians have traveled to space, Inspiration4 is the first mission manned solely by civilians.
'Each of us have been changed in a way that maybe we didn't expect,' said
