Home
Tech

'Moon tourists' sign up for SpaceX flight

Two private citizens likely to be paying millions for chance to fly around the moon

Newsletter sign up Newsletter

(Image credit: Roberto Gonzalez)

last updated 28 February 2017

Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX has announced that two private citizens have paid for a flight around the moon.

SpaceX mission to International Space Station ends in explosion SpaceX test flight: can a rocket be landed back on Earth?

Musk said the mission is planned for "late 2018" and that the pair "have already paid a significant deposit".

He added: "Like the Apollo astronauts before them, these individuals will travel into space carrying the hopes and dreams of all humankind, driven by the universal human spirit of exploration.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

"This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years."

The flight will take about a week to complete and will fly around the moon without touching down on its surface.

"[It] would rely on SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, the massive engine that the company hopes to test for the first time this summer, and a Dragon 2 capsule," The Guardian reports.

The names of the first two travellers have not been released, says CNN, but they are likely to be "paying millions for the adventure".

Musk said the cost of the flight would be "comparable" to sending an astronaut to the International Space Station, for which Russia's space agency Roscosmos charges Nasa around $70m (£56m).

Explore More

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox

A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The Week Staff

Social Links Navigation

Latest

Why some people remember dreams and others don't
Under The Radar Age, attitude and weather all play a part in dream recall

By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published 20 February 25
The Week contest: Hotel seal
Puzzles and Quizzes

By The Week US Published 20 February 25
New FBI Director Kash Patel could profit heavily from foreign interests
The Explainer Patel holds more than $1 million in Chinese fashion company Shein

By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published 20 February 25