SpaceX Is Sending A Paying Customer On A Tour Around The Moon, Maybe Even Near the End Of 2018
SpaceX has just signed a customer for its tourism service. No, it¡¯s not a self-driven Tesla ride around LA, but a trip around the Moon. The company says it will announce the name of its clearly rich passenger this Monday.
SpaceX has just signed a customer for its tourism service. No, it¡¯s not a self-driven Tesla ride around LA, but a trip around the Moon. The company says it will announce the name of its clearly rich passenger this Monday, and hopefully when they¡¯ll fly too.
Images courtesy: SpaceX
Right now, SpaceX hasn¡¯t yet divulged any details surrounding the historic flight, except that it¡¯s going to happen. An as yet undisclosed paying customer will be flown on its monster BFR (Big Falcon Rocket) out to space, swing around the Moon, and return. All we¡¯ve gotten so far is a Japanese flag emoji in a tweet from CEO Elon Musk, which could indicate the passenger¡¯s nationality.
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— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 14, 2018
The BFR is a giant rocket SpaceX is building right now, that¡¯s pegged to take humans to the Moon and Mars. Originally presented by Musk last year, it¡¯s a combination rocket and spaceship. The rocket is comprised of 31 main Raptor engines strapped together, with the power to lift 150 tons to low-Earth orbit. Both rocket and spaceship are also reusable, and have engines to gently land themselves just like the Falcon 9.
Back in Feb last year, SpaceX had announced plans to send two passengers around the Moon on the Falcon Heavy, saying it would happen sometime near the end of 2018. Eventually, near the inaugural flight of that rocket, Musk admitted the trip wasn¡¯t going to happen. Now, it seems like the plan is to carry out that trip on the BFR instead, given it¡¯s overtaken the Falcon Heavy as SpaceX¡¯s best hope to take humans to Mars.
