Very rich man who is trying to do some good. He’s a 37-year-old billionaire, just like one of the comfortable flying old Russian fighter jets he’s running the company he started in his parents’ basement when he dropped out of school.
Now, Jared Isaacman is about to push the boundaries further, reporter: he and three others aboard a SpaceX rocket become the first civilians to lift off from Kennedy Space Center later this year for a multi-day trip to orbit Earth became an astronaut.
The brainchild of another billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk. You both feel like, you know, there’s a variety of moms-to-be twins going on here. Well, I guess we share similar ideals and interests.
Reporter: Mission gave inspiration four, you have to focus. It will come fast. Reporter: Isaacman didn’t say how much he’s paying SpaceX for the trip, but he’s using it as a fundraising vehicle to raise a staggering $200 million for ST.
He’s putting in $100 million first. The ball has bounced my way several times, and there are so many kids and families that have a truly terrible hand in life. And they don’t even get to that point in life, REPORTER: As part of the fundraiser, he’s paying three other people to join him on Earth’s journey.
A former childhood patient in ST. Jude who had been cured of cancer and is now a medical worker at the hospital. Selection of any donor to the Scheduled Tribes. Jude. No minimum contribution is required. And someone who has an entrepreneurial vision and passion to make a positive contribution.
Reporter: For Musk, it’s about his goal of opening up space to everyone. So you’re going to put four civilian astronauts on a journey around the Earth. Are they essentially from here, L.A. Are they going to be remotely controlled from the U.S., or will they have any operational responsibility for the Space Shuttle?
Can assume manual controls and blow it all over the place. We would recommend against it, but it is a possibility. Reporter: ISAACMAN, which set up the ship for payment, processing hotel and restaurant transactions, is, itself, a full-fledged pilot. Now, he’s forgoing physicals, measuring for a space suit, and spending time in a SpaceX simulator.
You can command the vehicle, as well as always make sure you have a safe return to Earth. Super reliable technology. It is ahead of everyone else. I couldn’t be more convinced about the rocket, the spacecraft we’re going to have later this year. Reporter: For ST, Jude, a $200 million fundraiser promises to save and change lives.
This ensures that no family will ever receive a bill from a Scheduled Tribe. Not for the cost of Jude, treatment, accommodation, travel, or food. We all want moms and dads to worry about helping their child survive.
Reporter: As far as the actual mission is concerned and where will they go? It’s up to him. This is his mission. He can go wherever he wants. Reporter: Seriously, it’s up to him? He can go.
Reporter: Talking about getting away from it. Yes, a lot, he can go wherever he wants. Listen, this whole effort begins with a big Super Bowl ad on Sunday to really kick-start this ST. Jude Children’s Hospital will raise $200 million.
This then opens up the opportunity for anyone in the public to sign up to go on this journey. No matter how much you contribute, you will be considered. back to you. Elon musk mentioned that he — that anyone can take control and steer it. I think he was joking, but do any of these guys actually get real training.
Reporter: So, actually, as we mentioned, Jared is a very good pilot. So he’s really into the nuts and bolts and engineering of this. In theory, hopefully he would have enough knowledge, if he had to, he could do something. But the entire crew, these four people, will receive emergency evacuation instructions.
They will understand more about the mechanics of IT. They will go through a lot of simulator training. In the end, you know, these are four civilians who are jumping into a spaceship for a trip around the Earth. How long does it take, Tom? This was a question that came up during your spot.
Roughly speaking, how long would it take them to go around the Earth? Reporter: Well, they won’t say how many days they’re going to do this. You orbit the Earth once every 90 minutes. I am getting the effect we have been talking about for three days or so. I said what do you want to do? He said, You can change your journey for Jared. I said, what do you want to see?