Featured Image: Crew-1 launches aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. (Image credit: Next Horizons Spaceflight/Kyle Montgomery)

Spaceflight has always proven to be an inspiration for many people. Now SpaceX and St. Jude are hoping that that inspiration can draw attention to a cause. Jared Isaacman, CEO and founder of Shift4 Payments, a payment processing and online ecommerce firm will be the commander of this historic mission. The other three seats will be filled by people selected through an online donation campaign and an ecommerce campaign.

SpaceX is the only company to have launched humans aboard a commercial vehicle. They are now turning that feat into access by allowing those with enough funds to purchase orbital flights aboard Crew Dragon spacecraft. Axiom Aerospace has already negotiated an operations agreement for their AX-1 mission to the ISS in February of next year. They also have subsequent missions lined up that SpaceX is the only provider capable of servicing in the near future.

The Inspiration 4 mission will launch no earlier than the last quarter of 2021. Isaacman is “an accomplished pilot and adventurer.” He will stand for the St. Jude’s pillar of Leadership on the mission. The pillars of Generosity and Prosperity will be represented by contest award winners through either a donation campaign or an ecommerce campaign with Shift4. If you happen to be interested in a multi-day orbital flight, you can check out the contest details, and more details about the Inspiration 4 mission here.

When that launch occurs, as with any other launch, you can get your rocket news fix here at Next Horizons Spaceflight and live on Sunday nights at 7PM EST on YouTube.