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World's first space tourist plans new flight to Moon with SpaceX

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The SpaceX Crew-3 mission lifts off at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, November 10, 2021. Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich, EPA-EFE/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/10/13/spacex.jpg"/><figcaption>The SpaceX Crew-3 mission lifts off at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, November 10, 2021. <em>Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich, EPA-EFE/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Dennis Tito, an American entrepreneur who in 2001 became the first person to pay for their own space voyage, said Wednesday he plans to fly with his wife Akiko on a future SpaceX mission around the Moon.</p><p>The voyage will take place after Elon Musk&#x27;s company has finished developing its prototype Starship rocket and has flown a first commercial flight that will include Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa.</p><p>&quot;Since my first human spaceflight I continue to be passionate about space, and the possibilities it has for all humanity, which leads me to this mission&quot; Tito, 82, told reporters on a call Wednesday. </p><p>The weeklong mission would see Starship fly within 125 miles of the lunar surface before returning home.</p><p>Tito did not disclose how much he and Akiko had paid for their tickets, but said ten more seats remain open for others to sign up.</p><p>Maezawa, on the other hand, has chartered all the seats on his mission called &quot;dearMoon,&quot; set to fly no sooner than 2023 but likely much later.</p><p>In 2001, Tito paid $20 million to fly on a Russian rocket to the International Space Station, heralding the era of space tourism.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/07/21/i-felt-really-heavy-astronauts-describe-returning-to-earth-on-spacex-capsule">&#x27;I felt really heavy&#x27;: Astronauts describe returning to Earth on SpaceX capsule</a></li></ul><p>An aeronautics and astronautics engineer by training, Tito worked for NASA&#x27;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1960s, before founding the investment management firm Wilshire Associates in 1972.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/03/05/22/scientists-think-an-old-rocket-just-hit-the-moon">Scientists think an old rocket just hit the Moon going 5,800 mph</a></li></ul><p>Japanese born Akiko, a systems engineer who later moved to the finance industry and relocated to New York in 1995, added: &quot;I want people to know that they can do whatever they set their mind to. </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s never too late, no matter your age, race or gender.&quot;</p><p>It&#x27;s unclear when SpaceX will commence commercial missions with Starship – a giant rocket that the company hopes to one day use to colonize Mars.</p><p>Musk has promised the rocket will complete its first orbital test this year, and a version of Starship has already been selected to be used as a lander for NASA&#x27;s Artemis missions to return humans to the Moon.</p><p>Aarti Matthews, director of Starship crew and cargo, said SpaceX envisaged the commercial missions as a step towards airline-like space operations.</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1624595" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The weeklong mission would see the SpaceX prototype Starship rocket Starship fly within 125 miles of the lunar surface before returning home.