Space & Astronomy

SpaceX plans to send two people to the Moon

By T.K. Randall
February 28, 2017

Image: Buzz Aldrin on the Moon
Credit: Neil Armstrong (1969) / (PD) NASA The mission, which was announced by CEO Elon Musk during a conference call with reporters on Monday, will be the first to see humans visiting the Moon in almost five decades.

According to Musk, the week-long trip will make use of the company's Dragon 2 capsule as well as its yet untested Falcon Heavy rocket. While there are no plans to actually land on the lunar surface, the trip will involve skimming across it on a journey that will cover up to 400,000 miles.

It isn't yet clear exactly who will be embarking on the mission, however the individuals in question have reportedly already paid a substantial sum of money comparable to that previously paid by tourists visiting the International Space Station.The pair will receive training and undergo health and fitness tests in the near future.

"Other flight teams have also expressed strong interest and we expect more to follow," SpaceX said in a statement. "Additional information will be released about the flight teams, contingent upon their approval and confirmation of the health and fitness test results."

It will certainly be interesting to see how this all pans out over the next couple of years.


Source: The Guardian

Tags: SpaceX, Moon