SpaceX will fly to space with a civilian crew later this year

SpaceX announced on Monday that it will launch four private individuals on a Crew Dragon capsule in orbit around the Earth, called ‘the world’s first civilian mission’. It is planned for the fourth quarter of 2021.

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

“Inspiration4 is the realization of a lifelong dream and a step towards a future in which everyone can face and explore the stars. I appreciate the tremendous responsibility that comes with commanding this mission and I want this historic moment used to inspire humanity while helping to tackle childhood cancer here on earth, ”Isaacman said in a statement.

Isaacman het St. Jude was given two of the seats on the mission, with one “reserved for a St. Jude ambassador with direct ties to the mission.”

“During February, members of the public can get a chance to enter the flight into space and support the life-saving mission of St. Jude,” SpaceX said.

The Inspiration4 crew will undergo training led by SpaceX, in which they will prepare for launch on top of one of the company’s Falcon 9 rockets.

Elon Musk’s company has announced several private missions over the past few years, including an agreement with Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa to fly on the company’s Starship rocket during a trip around the Moon in 2023. SpaceX also has space tourism transactions with Axiom Space, which aims to fly four people to the International Space Station on a 10-day journey early next year, and Space Adventures, which plans to have four tourists on a five-day ‘free-flyer’ by 2022 ‘journey to fly a runway.