SpaceX to fly two space tourists around the moon in 2018

[Hamartia Antidote]

http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/27/technology/spacex-moon-tourism/

Two thrill seekers are paying SpaceX to make a trip around the moon next year.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced Monday afternoon that the space tourists had already placed a significant deposit for the trip. The travelers will undergo fitness tests and begin training later this year.

"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," SpaceX said in a blog post.

For takeoff, SpaceX will use the same launch pad near Cape Canaveral, Florida, that was used for the Apollo programs missions.

The company doesn't expect this to be a one-time mission. SpaceX said that other people have expressed strong interest in making the trip. The names of the first two travelers have not been released. They are likely paying millions for the adventure.

For comparison, space tourists have previously paid the Russia government upwards of $20 million for a trip to the International Space Station. SpaceX has not publicly revealed the price of its trip.

"Next year is going to be a big year for carrying people to the space station and hopefully beyond," Musk said in a conference call with reporters.

 

[F-22Raptor]

Amazing, I wish SpaceX all the best!

 

[qwerrty]

no they won't. not even 2020. that is, unless they don't care about the lives they're sending to space

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

no they won't. not even 2020. that is, unless they don't care about the lives they're sending to space

I think the people who are paying for the trip know as the first test subjects they have a good chance of not surviving. Spacex isn't NASA. NASA launched multiple unmanned SaturnV missions to test the full stack of the equipment first. Unless SpaceX leverages their reusability so much that they start flying a dozen test missions first.

 

[ito]

The problem with SpaceX or any other private space agencies is that their contribution to basic research will be minimal. All of their projects have to cash flow positive to be approved. SpaceX or any other private space agencies will confine to space tourism and commercial satellite launches. So there is a need for public agencies such as NASA, ISRO, ESA, JAXA, CNSA etc... to further the human knowledge.

I think the people who are paying for the trip know as the first test subjects they have a good chance of not surviving. Spacex isn't NASA. NASA launched multiple unmanned SaturnV missions to test the full stack of the equipment first.

I will be surprised if NASA is not contributing to SpaceX missions.

 

[Deidara]

@ito is that you in the DP ?

 

[ito]

@ito is that you in the DP ?

Yes, that is me. It was taken when I was visiting bund, Shanghai.

 

[Deidara]

Yes, that is me. It was taken when I was visiting bund, Shanghai.

You have a very respectable appearance. This outlook was obviously common in the past but now only highly educated and white collar professionals look like that. Everyone else has gone the rapper or hipster way.

 

[ito]

You have a very respectable appearance. This outlook was obviously common in the past but now only highly educated and white collar professionals look like that. Everyone else has gone the rapper or hipster way.

Till recently I used to work in investment industry. You have to be professional all the time in investment industry or else investors wouldn't trust your judgement.

Investment and finance industry is still one of the few industries that has not gone hipster way yet.