Lynchburg residents witness early morning space launch

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX launched a private shuttle into space early Tuesday morning.

Four commercial astronauts just began their five-day journey from Cape Canaveral, Florida, but you could see it in the skies over Lynchburg!

Until recently, space travel was only possible through government organizations such as NASA.

Private space research has now become an important player in space travel.

And a big part of the equation comes down to challenges with government financing.

“The more people working on the projects, the more progress we can make and the more opportunity and flexibility it offers,” said Trish Cerulli, NASA’s Blue Ridge Solar System Ambassador.

RELATED: WATCH IT: Polaris Dawn launch lights up Virginia night sky

She said organizations like SpaceX can actually help NASA deliver supplies to the space station and assist in future space exploration to the moon.

The admission process for private travel is still very demanding and requires months of intensive training.

Cerulli said it is still very risky because much of space is unknown.

But you probably won’t be boarding a private space shuttle anytime soon.

Although there are hopes to make it more accessible to people over time, it is still extremely expensive.

When asked if he could provide details on how much each individual paid or how much SpaceX is funding this trip, Jared Isaacman, who is chartering the flight, said: “Absolutely not.”