VERY RICH MAN WHO IS TRYING TO
DO SOME GOOD.
HE’S A 37-YEAR-OLD BILLIONAIRE,
JUST AS COMFORTABLE FLYING ONE
OF THE VINTAGE RUSSIAN FIGHTER
JETS HE OWNS AS HE IS RUNNING
THE COMPANY HE STARTED IN HIS
PARENT’S BASEMENT WHEN HE
DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL.
NOW, JARED ISAACMAN IS ABOUT TO
PUSH THE LIMITS EVEN FURTHER.
>> THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO.
>> Reporter: HE AND THREE OTHERS
BECOMING THE FIRST CIVILIAN
ASTRONAUTS TO LIFT OFF FROM THE
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER LATE THIS
YEAR FOR A MULTI-DAY TRIP
ORBITING THE EARTH, RIDING ON
TOP OF A SPACEX ROCKET.
THE BRAINCHILD OF ANOTHER
BILLIONAIRE ENTREPRENEUR, ELON
MUSK.
YOU TWO SEEM TO HAVE, LIKE, YOU
KNOW, TWIN BROTHERS OF DIFFERENT
MOTHERS KIND OF SCENARIO GOING
ON HERE.
>> WELL, I THINK WE SHARE
SIMILAR IDEALS AND INTERESTS.
THAT’S FOR SURE.
>> Reporter: THE MISSION DUBBED
INSPIRATION FOUR
INSPIRATION.
>> YOU HAVE TO BE FOCUSED.
IT’LL COME UP FAST.
>> Reporter: ISAACMAN WON’T SAY
HOW MUCH HE IS PAYING SPACEX FOR
THE TRIP, BUT HE IS USING IT AS
A FUNDRAISING VEHICLE TO RAISE A
STAGGERING $200 MILLION FOR ST.
JUDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.
AND HE’S PUTTING IN THE FIRST
$100 MILLION.
>> THE BALL HAS BOUNCED MY WAY
SEVERAL TIMES, AND THERE IS A
LOT OF KIDS AND FAMILIES THAT
ARE DEALT A REALLY HORRIBLE HAND
IN LIFE.
AND THEY DON’T EVEN GET TO GROW
UP TO THAT POINT IN LIFE.
>> Reporter: AS PART OF THE
FUNDRAISER, HE’S PAYING FOR
THREE OTHERS TO JOIN HIM ON THE
TRIP AROUND THE EARTH.
A FORMER CHILDHOOD PATIENT AT
ST. JUDE WHO WAS CURED OF CANCER
AND IS NOW A MEDICAL STAFFER AT
THE HOSPITAL.
SOMEONE SELECTED FROM AMONG
THOSE WHO DONATE TO ST. JUDE.
NO MINIMUM CONTRIBUTION
REQUIRED.
AND SOMEONE WITH AN
ENTREPRENEURIAL VISION AND
PASSION TO MAKE A POSITIVE
CONTRIBUTION.
FOUR CIVILIANS, NONE OF THEM
WITH PRIOR ASTRONAUT EXPERIENCE.
>> LIFT-OFF.
>> Reporter: FOR MUSK, IT IS ALL
ABOUT HIS GOAL OF OPENING UP
SPACE TO EVERYONE.
SO YOU’RE GOING TO PUT FOUR
CIVILIAN ASTRONAUTS ON A TRIP
AROUND THE EARTH.
ARE THEY ESSENTIALLY GOING TO BE
REMOTE CONTROLLED FROM HERE,
FROM L.A., OR WILL THEY HAVE ANY
OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THE SPACE SHUTTLE?
>> COULD ASSUME MANUAL CONTROL
AND FLY IT ALL OVER THE PLACE.
WE WOULD RECOMMEND AGAINST THIS,
BUT IT IS A POSSIBILITY.
>> Reporter: ISAACMAN, WHO
FOUNDED SHIP FOR PAYMENTS,
PROCESSING HOTEL AND RESTAURANT
TRANSACTIONS, IS, HIMSELF, AN
ACCOMPLISHED PILOT.
NOW, HE’S UNDERGOING THE
PHYSICALS, GETTING MEASURED FOR
A SPACE SUIT, AND SPENDING TIME
IN A SPACEX SIMULATOR.
>> YOU CAN COMMAND THE VEHICLE,
AS WELL AS ALWAYS ENSURING YOU
HAVE A SAFE RETURN TO EARTH.
>> SUPER RELIABLE TECHNOLOGY.
IT IS AHEAD OF EVERYONE ELSE.
I COULDN’T BE MORE CONFIDENT
ABOUT THE ROCKET, THE SPACECRAFT
WE’LL BE GOING ON LATER THIS
YEAR.
>> Reporter: FOR ST. JUDE, THE
$200 MILLION FUNDRAISER PROMISES
TO SAVE AND CHANGE LIVES.
>> THAT ENSURES THAT NO FAMILY
WILL EVER RECEIVE A BILL FROM
ST. JUDE, NOT FOR THE COST OF
TREATMENT, HOUSING, TRAVEL, OR
FOOD.
ALL WE WANT MOM AND DAD TO WORRY
ABOUT IS HELPING THEIR CHILD
LIVE.
>> Reporter: AS FOR THE ACTUAL
MISSION AND WHERE THEY’LL GO?
>> IT IS UP TO HIM.
IT IS HIS MISSION.
HE CAN GO WHEREVER HE’D LIKE.
>> Reporter: REALLY, IT IS UP TO
HIM?
HE CAN GO WHEREVER IN ORBIT?
>> PRETTY MUCH, YEAH.
>> Reporter: TALKING ABOUT
GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL.
YEAH, PRETTY MUCH, HE CAN GO
WHEREVER HE WANTS.
LISTEN, THIS ENTIRE EFFORT KICKS
OFF ON SUNDAY WITH A BIG SUPER
BOWL AD TO REALLY KICK-START
THIS ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S
HOSPITAL TO RAISE $200 MILLION.
THEN IT OPENS UP THE OPPORTUNITY
FOR ANYBODY IN THE PUBLIC TO
SIGN UP TO GO ALONG ON THIS
TRIP.
DOESN’T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU
CONTRIBUTE, YOU’LL BE
CONSIDERED.
BACK TO YOU.
>> ELON MUSK MENTIONED THAT
HE -- THAT SOMEBODY COULD TAKE
THE CONTROLS AND DRIVE IT.
I’M ASSUMING HE WAS JOKING
AROUND, BUT DO ANY OF THESE
PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET REAL
TRAINING?
>> Reporter: SO, ACTUALLY, AS WE
MENTIONED, JARED IS A PRETTY
GOOD PILOT.
HE HAS 6,000 JET HOURS UNDER HIS
BELT.
SO HE’S REALLY INTO THE NUTS AND
THE BOLTS AND THE ENGINEERING OF
THIS.
IN THEORY, HOPEFULLY, HE’LL HAVE
ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE, HE COULD DO
SOMETHING IF HE HAD TO.
BUT THE ENTIRE CREW, ALL THESE
FOUR PEOPLE, WILL GET EMERGENCY
EGRESS INSTRUCTIONS, HOW DO YOU
GET OUT OF IT IN CASE OF AN
EMERGENCY.
THEY’LL UNDERSTAND MORE OF THE
MECHANICS OF IT.
THEY’LL GO THROUGH A LOT OF
SIMULATOR TRAINING.
ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE
FOUR CIVILIANS WHO ARE JUMPING
INTO A SPACESHIP FOR A JOURNEY
AROUND THE EARTH.
>> HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE, TOM?
THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT CAME UP
DURING YOUR SPOT.
ROUGHLY, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE
THEM TO GET 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 OR SO.
I’M GETTING THE IMPRESSION WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT THREE DAYS OR SO.
I’VE SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO
DO?
THEY SAID, YOU CAN ALTER YOUR
JOURNEY, FOR JARED.
I SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE,
THE NORTH POLE, THE GRAND CANYON
CANYON, WHAT?
HE SAID, EVERYTHING IS ON THE
TABLE.
WE’RE CONSIDERING ALL OUR
OPTIONS.
>> WOW.
ALL RIGHT.
>> I MEAN, IT’S COOL.
>> YEAH.
>> THEY REMOTE CONTROL IT FROM
EARTH, LIKE A JOYSTICK OR
SOMETHING?
>> Reporter: I THINK MOSTLY, IT
IS GOING TO BE REMOTE CONTROL
FROM RIGHT DOWNSTAIRS HERE AT
SPACEX HEADQUARTERS.
>> YOU’RE SIGNING UP, AREN’T
YOU, COSTELLO?
YOU’RE SIGNING UP.