VAN HORN, TEXAS — A privately funded rocket carrying four paying passengers crossed the Kármán line at 10:42 a.m. Tuesday, marking a milestone in human spaceflight that lasted roughly 11 seconds before the crew’s tablets chimed with a message reading, “How did we do?”

The survey, sent by the launch company’s Customer Delight Platform, arrived while the capsule was still ascending. It asked passengers to rate their experience from one to five stars, with an optional comment box for “anything we could have done to make your journey out of this world.”

“I had just seen the curvature of the planet,” said passenger Dale Pruitt-Ackerman, 54, a regional distributor of commercial flooring. “I was starting to feel something large and quiet. Then it asked if I’d be willing to take a short follow-up survey. I said yes, because I’m a nice person.”

Mission control confirmed that the survey reached the capsule through a dedicated satellite link that cost an estimated $40 million to build. Engineers said it was the most reliable system on the vehicle.

Within minutes, the crew received a second message, which read, “Loved your flight? Share it with a review,” followed by a third offering the promo code APOGEE15 for 15 percent off a future launch. The code is valid only on weekdays and cannot be combined with other offers, including the offer of returning to Earth.

“We’ve found that the moment of peak emotional intensity is the ideal moment to ask for feedback,” said Dr. Marguerite Oyelaran-Finch, head of Post-Transcendence Engagement at the company and a former Director of Wonder Monetization at a major cruise line. “Our data shows that awe fades within 90 seconds. After that, you’re just a person in a metal can who might leave a two-star review about legroom.”

The company said it takes feedback seriously. Early results show passengers rated the view five stars, the launch four stars, and the weightlessness three stars, citing “too much of it.” The most common complaint was a single, persistent push notification that read, “Don’t forget to rate us!” and which, according to one passenger, “followed me into the stratosphere.”

“The first human words ever spoken from that altitude were ‘Wait, is it going to ask me again?’”

Observers noted that the achievement was overshadowed from the start. The mission’s founder, who watched from the ground, called the flight “a giant leap for customer experience,” then asked reporters whether they had been satisfied with the press briefing.

Space historians said the episode reflects a broader trend. “Neil Armstrong was never asked whether he would recommend the Moon to a colleague,” said Professor Alistair Venkataraghavan, chair of Extraterrestrial Hospitality Studies at the Institute for Applied Wonder. “Though to be fair, he did leave a flag, which is essentially a review.”

At press time, the capsule had landed safely, and the crew was reportedly hesitating over the final survey question, which asked whether they would be open to receiving occasional updates about future adventures. Pruitt-Ackerman selected “Remind me later,” a choice the system recorded as “Yes.”