SpaceX Will Send 2 People Around the Moon in 2018

Another couple of small steps.

By Wesley Copeland

Two citizens have paid to be sent around the moon, SpaceX has revealed, in its Dragon spacecraft.

The exact amount wasn't specified, other than it required a "significant deposit." The mission is set to take place during the second quarter of 2018.

“This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years,” says SpaceX, “and they will travel faster and further into the Solar System than any before them.”

“Designed from the beginning to carry humans, the Dragon spacecraft already has a long flight heritage. These missions will build upon that heritage, extending it to deep space mission operations, an important milestone as we work towards our ultimate goal of transporting humans to Mars.”

SpaceX goes on to sing the praises of NASA, saying all this wouldn’t be possible if not for the help received.

“NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which provided most of the funding for Dragon 2 development, is a key enabler for this mission. In addition, this will make use of the Falcon Heavy rocket, which was developed with internal SpaceX funding. Falcon Heavy is due to launch its first test flight this summer and, once successful, will be the most powerful vehicle to reach orbit after the Saturn V moon rocket. At 5 million pounds of liftoff thrust, Falcon Heavy is two-thirds the thrust of Saturn V and more than double the thrust of the next largest launch vehicle currently flying.”

In December of 2016, NASA wasn’t sold on the idea of some of SpaceX’s more lofty goals. Specifically, the claim of being able to land on Mars. “Landing on Mars is hard,” Jim Green, the head of NASA's Planetary Science Division, said regarding SpaceX’s plan to land on Mars within two years.

The first flight of the Dragon spacecraft was originally scheduled for spring 2017, but after a possible problem with the loading of supercooled fuels, the mission was delayed into 2018.

Wesley Copeland is a freelance news writer who writes excellent bios. For more obvious statements and video game chat, you should probably follow him on Twitter.

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