SpaceX will do the Inspiration4 mission with civilian crew to St. Jude

SpaceX announced on Monday that it will launch four private individuals into a Crew Dragon capsule orbiting the Earth, dubbed “the world’s first all-civilian mission”. The launch is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2021.

The company’s spacecraft will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments. The mission, known as Inspiration4, aims to garner support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Isaacman is donating the three accompanying seats on the mission “to crew members who will be selected to represent the pillars of the mission of leadership, hope, generosity and prosperity,” SpaceX said in a press release.

“Inspiration4 is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream and a step towards a future in which anyone can venture and explore the stars. I am grateful for the tremendous responsibility that comes from commanding this mission and I want to use this historic moment to inspire humanity while helping to fight childhood cancer here on Earth, “said Isaacman in a statement.

Isaacman gave St. Jude two of the seats on the mission, with a “reserved for a St. Jude ambassador with direct ties to the mission.” The third and fourth crew seats will be decided by online competitions that take place from the 1st to the 28th of February, listed on the Inspiration4 website. The third slot is open to those who donate to St. Jude, while the fourth is open to new and existing customers of Isaacman’s Shift4Shop e-commerce platform.