All civillian space flight for charity

Inspiration4 is the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit. The mission will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shift4 Payments and an accomplished pilot and adventurer. Named in recognition of the four-person crew that will raise awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, this milestone represents a new era for human spaceflight and exploration.


https://inspiration4.com/

What precisely is the connection between this mission and Elon Musk's company Space X (see logo on spacecraft)?


Jared Isaacman -- Commander & Benefactor
Jared Isaacman is the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments (NYSE: FOUR), the leader in integrated payment processing solutions. He started the company in 1999 from the basement of his family’s house when he was only 16 years old and has built it into an industry-leading payments technology company with over 1,200 employees. Isaacman is considered one of the industry’s most influential business leaders and has been featured by various media outlets and publications including Forbes, The Today Show, Fox Business News, ABC News, Bloomberg, Businessweek, Inc. Magazine, and Fast Company, among others.

An accomplished jet pilot, Isaacman is rated to fly commercial and military aircraft and holds several world records including two Speed-Around-The-World flights in 2008 and 2009 that raised money and awareness for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. He has flown in over 100 airshows as part of the Black Diamond Jet Team, dedicating every performance to charitable causes. In 2011, Isaacman co-founded what would become the world’s largest private air force, Draken International, to train pilots for the United States Armed Forces.

“In fulfilling a personal and lifelong dream, I recognize the tremendous responsibility that comes with commanding this mission. While a historic journey awaits us in space, I hope this mission reinforces how far inspiration can take us and the extraordinary achievements it leads to here on Earth.”

Hayley Arceneaux -- Hope
When Hayley was 10 years old, one of her knees began to ache. Her doctor thought it was just a sprain, but a few months later, tests revealed Hayley suffered from osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Her family turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for her treatment and care, which included chemotherapy and a limb-saving surgery. She is now finished with treatment and thriving. She obtained an undergraduate degree in Spanish in 2014, and obtained her Physician Assistant (PA) degree in 2016. She now works at St. Jude – the very place that saved her life – as a PA with leukemia and lymphoma patients.

“It’s an incredible honor to be a part of this mission that is not only raising crucial funds for the lifesaving work of St. Jude but also introducing new supporters to the cause and showing cancer survivors that anything is possible.”

Chris Sembroski -- Generosity
Chris Sembroski grew up with a natural curiosity about outer space. Stargazing late at night on the roof of his high school and launching high-powered model rockets in college cemented this passion. As a U.S. Space Camp counselor, he conducted simulated space shuttle missions and supported STEM-based education designed to inspire young minds to explore these areas and find their passions. As a college student, Sembroski volunteered with ProSpace, a grassroots lobbying effort that promoted legislation in Washington, D.C., to help open space travel and allow companies like SpaceX to exist. He then served in the U.S. Air Force, maintaining a fleet of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and deploying for service in Iraq before leaving active duty in 2007. Following his education from the Air Force, Sembroski earned a B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In his career, Sembroski has sought innovative, industry-disrupting methods to monitor and maintain mechanical equipment, making everything from data centers to hospitals more efficient. He now resides in Seattle, WA, and works in the aerospace industry.

“Joining the Inspiration4 crew and its mission of support for St. Jude is truly a dream come true. It is my hope that this flight will inspire others to pay that generosity forward by pledging their support for St. Jude and encouraging kids to dream the impossible, ushering in a new era of space exploration open to all.”

Dr. Sian Proctor -- Prosperity
Dr. Sian Proctor is a geoscientist, explorer, and science communication specialist with a lifelong passion for space exploration. She was born in Guam while her father was working at the NASA tracking station during the Apollo missions and has carried on his dedication and interest in space. She’s an analog astronaut (a person who conducts activities in simulated space conditions) and has completed four analog missions, including the all-female Sensoria Mars 2020 mission at the Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Habitat as well as the NASA-funded four-month Mars mission at HI-SEAS to investigate food strategies for long-duration spaceflights. Her motto is “Space2inspire,” and she encourages people to use their unique one-of-a-kind strengths and passion to inspire others. She uses her Space2inpsire Art to encourage conversations about creating a J.E.D.I. Space: a Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive space for all of humanity. Dr. Proctor was recently selected as an Explorer’s Club 50: Fifty People Changing the World. She has a TEDx talk called Eat Like a Martian and published the Meals for Mars Cookbook. Dr. Proctor was a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Program. She has her pilot license, is SCUBA certified, and loves geoexploring our world. She has been a geoscience professor for over 20 years at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona and is currently on reassignment as the Open Educational Resource Coordinator for the Maricopa Community College District. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science, an M.S. in Geology, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education.

“I am thrilled to part of the historic Inspiration4 crew and to represent the Prosperity seat. Going to space has always been a dream of mine and being able to inspire the world through art and poetry makes it even more special for me.”

Quote: Pacomartin

What precisely is the connection between this mission and Elon Musk's company Space X (see logo on spacecraft)?

My understanding is that SpaceX is supplying the rocket for the mission. I also assume Elon and Jared are friends or at least strong acquaintances.

Maybe it is a mentoring program with the super-billionaire helping out the young and struggling billionaire.

Quote: DRich

struggling billionaire

They say money doesn’t solve all problems, but I completely disagree.

Quote: DRich

Maybe it is a mentoring program with the super-billionaire helping out the young and struggling billionaire.

Very clever! Sums up all four themes at once: Benefactor, Hope, Generosity, and Prosperity

Quote: Pacomartin

Very clever! Sums up all four themes at once: Benefactor, Hope, Generosity, and Prosperity

The capsule has a NASA logo on it.

Quote: kenarman

The capsule has a NASA logo on it.

Nasa funds lots of SpaceX.'s projects.

I like their logo.

I didn't even notice the little St. Jude's logo on the left side

Wow, they made the cover of time magazine this week.