SpaceX to send privately crewed spacecraft beyond the moon next year

We are excited to announce that SpaceX has been approached to fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon late next year. They have already paid a significant deposit to do a moon mission. 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

Read more at:

www.spacex.com...

Looks like a very aggressive time schedule, not surprised if they'll slip a year or two, but very surprising (to me at least) anyway. Growing up with NASA, ESA and alike, I'd never thought the future of space travel would be continued with privately funded corporations.

SpaceX is awesome, don't get me wrong, but didn't two of their last three supply missions to the ISS fail?
Unless Elon is willing to hop on board with me, there is NO WAY I'd even consider going around the moon on one of his ships.

Same goes for Branson and Bezos for that matter.

originally posted by: the owlbear
SpaceX is awesome, don't get me wrong, but didn't two of their last three supply missions to the ISS fail?
Unless Elon is willing to hop on board with me, there is NO WAY I'd even consider going around the moon on one of his ships.

Same goes for Branson and Bezos for that matter.

Debbie downer lol

I applaud this, we have to take risk if we are to make progress.

If they pull it off, they will be positioned as top private space firm, with all the contracts. This is a big gamble with a huge payoff.

They have been around for some time, its probably time to move on to the next level and what better opportunity to do so.

a reply to: BenSisko

The NDA you'd need to sign before doing this doesn't exist...

Or.....the flight plan would avoid any areas of interest.

Hmm? Somebody very rich want's to see the dark side of the moon. Wouldn't it be amazing if it was Richard Branson or Trump. But I can only hope it's only Soro's by himself on a one way ticket. Unless Soro's is only there to fire up the Nazi bases, then no, no, no...

Wow. What must it be like to be an individual with the means to buy a trip around the moon just for the fun of it?

a reply to: Naturallywired

Mwauhahaha NO thread is safe hahahaah!

Anyways on topic, Op cheers for posting this. This is great news and I for one hope and wish they have every success.

I'm giddy at the prospect of this, I really am. Awesome news.

This is so long overdue, I am surprised this wasn't attempted during the 80's -- really doesn't seem that hard to me.

I know that the moon is a long distance away. I mean, I have 270,000 miles on my car -- it took me a long time to drive that distance (which is more than the distance to the moon.)

But the energy involved? Well --we have that energy. We could be approaching the stars now, in a space ship the size of a city block. All that was completely planned out in a realistic plan in the 1950's -- if you are not familiar with the precepts of the "Orion Project" (not the new Orion, but the old 1950's Orion) you will be amazed:

en.wikipedia.org...(nuclear_propulsion)

I think we are just afraid of the "vacuum of space", which incidentally is about the same vacuum that exists on a Jet Airliner at 40,000 feet (maybe a bit more vacuum, but not much more.) We have submarines with hulls capable of withstanding 400 psi of pressure (probably more) -- I think we can construct a nice shell to contain 12 psi -- no problem.

Good for SpaceX. Nice!

Space X should change their name to Weyland Yutani Corp.

originally posted by: the owlbear
SpaceX is awesome, don't get me wrong, but didn't two of their last three supply missions to the ISS fail?
Unless Elon is willing to hop on board with me, there is NO WAY I'd even consider going around the moon on one of his ships.

Same goes for Branson and Bezos for that matter.

How fortunate that you won't be forced to go! I'm guessing many people don't share your fears, so the fact that you have them is more like a personal issue.

I'd bet anything this doesn't happen by next year, probably not in the next 10 years. It's a good goal to have, but unrealistic at this point, IMO.

originally posted by: muSSang
Space X should change their name to Weyland Yutani Corp.

You think Elon Musk is masking his lust for alien technology with his grand hopes for space exploration?

I don't care either way, I'm happy with the exploration whilst he is looking for "gods", it's all good with me

a reply to: the owlbear

Its all about risk!
The first man to space walk Alexey Leonov, took a cyanide pill with him on his historical 12-minute stroll on March 18th, 1965, just in case he was unable to return to the spacecraft.

We wouldnt be where we are now if it wasnt for taking risk.

originally posted by: RAY1990
a reply to: Naturallywired

Mwauhahaha NO thread is safe hahahaah!

Hope you are not taking jabs at me?
This is ATS. I was just posting some ideas in my head after reading the OP.

originally posted by: TruMcCarthy
I'd bet anything this doesn't happen by next year, probably not in the next 10 years. It's a good goal to have, but unrealistic at this point, IMO.

I kinda thought about the timeline myself, but hey Kennedy said 10 years and achieved his goal right? Well I'd expect the tech today should be able to shorten the Time table to 1/10 of that; why not right?

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: the owlbear
SpaceX is awesome, don't get me wrong, but didn't two of their last three supply missions to the ISS fail?
Unless Elon is willing to hop on board with me, there is NO WAY I'd even consider going around the moon on one of his ships.

Same goes for Branson and Bezos for that matter.

How fortunate that you won't be forced to go! I'm guessing many people don't share your fears, so the fact that you have them is more like a personal issue.

Sorry, it's the simple fact that if the financial backers aren't willing to take the risk, I won't either. And no, I cannot afford it, am not jealous of those that are, or anything. If on a maiden manned voyage around the moon with a company that had one rocket blow up, one that couldn't hit the target of the iss, and less than a year later expect to make it around the moon alive???

Have you ever played blackjack?

I am personally fond of being alive.
We are in the beginning stages of the craziness that happened after the Wright Brothers flew a few hundred feet. People are going to die. I'd rather not be one of them.

a reply to: Naturallywired

You needlessly brought politics into the thread. Not taking jabs just making fun of a rather tiring situation.

No harm intended.

I wouldn't be surprised if we don't find out who is going till the last minute. If these would-be astronauts are very private people we might not find out at all though I really don't know how that would work out.

a reply to: BenSisko

But, but... how will they keep everyone who flies into space from telling the world that the earth is flat?


LOL

originally posted by: RAY1990
a reply to: Naturallywired

You needlessly brought politics into the thread. Not taking jabs just making fun of a rather tiring situation.

No harm intended.

I wouldn't be surprised if we don't find out who is going till the last minute. If these would-be astronauts are very private people we might not find out at all though I really don't know how that would work out.

How did I bring "POLITICS" into this discussion?