SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission safely splashed down just off the coast of Florida on Saturday night, after completing the first-ever all-civilian trip to Earth’s orbit. With the help of companies including Sam Adams and Martin Guitars, the three-day trip to space aimed to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in what amounts to a charitable spin on the emerging market for very expensive joyrides to space. The fact that the mission was filled with branding opportunities isn’t surprising, given that private space launches are already big streaming and media events.
The mission also involved a motley payload of gear and collectibles, including merchandise that is now available to purchase through a charity auction. Those items range from space-themed watches made by IWC to stuffed rocket-ship toys based on characters from the animated Netflix series Space Racers. There’s a $2,000 Martin Guitar ukulele that Sembroski played on board.