SpaceX is planning its first privately funded tourist launch to the moon in late 2018. Two paying passengers (names not yet disclosed) will fly 300,000 to 400,000 miles (480,000 to 640,000 km) from earth just as the NASA’s 1968 Apollo 8 mission.

SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk has not declared the mission cost yet, but has said the customers have paid “substantial” amount and an “extensive training” will be done before the mission. He also stated that this is not his competition with other government space agencies, but if NASA is willing to help, that would take priority over the two individuals. The travelling cost stated could be approx. $250,000 each.

SpaceX’s own Falcon Heavy rocket, which can be used for this lunar mission, will make its debut test flight later in 2017. The Dragon spaceship for NASA astronauts is also well suited for the mission, Musk added. He believes such missions around the moon can help in SpaceX’s ‘ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.’
“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.

By
Guneet Bhatia

Tags: 2018elon musklunar missionNASAspace missionsspace tourspace travelspaceX