SpaceX Lunar Tourism Mission
| Mission type | Manned Lunar Flyby |
|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Dragon 2[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | Late 2018 (planned) [2] |
| Rocket | Falcon Heavy[2] |
| Launch site | Pad 39A[3] |
The SpaceX Lunar Tourism Mission will be a private mission to fly two space tourists around the moon aboard SpaceX's Dragon 2 spacecraft. SpaceX aims for a launch sometime late 2018, after the Dragon 2 is tested and flown under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.[1] The Space X Lunar Tourism Mission (as called because of a lack of an official name) could fall around the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 flight, which flew astronauts around the moon for the first time, as part of the Apollo program.[2] The announcement for this mission was made February 27, 2017.[1]
Mission
A Falcon Heavy will be used to put the Dragon 2 in a weeklong cruise around the moon. SpaceX has planned the launch from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The Dragon 2 will go on an automated cruise around the moon, although the crew will be trained for emergencies.[3]
Crew
SpaceX hasn't disclosed the names of the crew that will fly on the mission. They did, however, say that two private citizens have paid a "significant deposit."[1] Although SpaceX hasn't shared how much the tourists will pay, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, did reveal that the cost will be "comparable" to the cost of a crewed mission to the International Space Station.[4]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Shanklin, Emily (2017-02-27). "SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year". SpaceX. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- 1 2 3 "As SpaceX Unveils Space Tourist Moon Flight, NASA Reacts". Space.com. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- 1 2 McFarLand, Matt. "SpaceX to fly two space tourists around the moon in 2018". CNNtech. CNN. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ↑ Chang, Kenneth (2017-02-27). "SpaceX Plans to Send 2 Tourists Around Moon in 2018". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-12.