The first non-governmental space traveler was Byron K. Lichtenberg, a researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who flew on STS-9 in 1983.
ðə fˈɜːst nˈɑːŋɡˌʌvɚnmˈɛntəl spˈeɪs tɹˈævəlɚ wʌz bˈaɪɹɑːn kˈeɪ. lˈɪtʃtənbˌɜːɡ, ɐ ɹᵻsˈɜːtʃɚ fɹʌmðə mˌæsɐtʃˈuːsɪts ˈɪnstɪtˌuːt ʌv tɛknˈɑːlədʒi hˌuː flˈuː ˌɔn ˌɛstˌiːˈɛs nˈaɪn ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi θɹˈiː.