Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has unexpectedly cancelled his highly publicized ‘dearMoon’ mission with SpaceX. The project aimed to take a private crew around the moon on the Starship rocket. The decision comes amid ongoing uncertainties about when the launch vehicle will be ready for such a journey.
The Vision and the Setback
In 2018, Maezawa signed a contract with SpaceX, envisioning the ‘dearMoon’ mission to launch by the end of 2023. “I signed the contract in 2018 based on the assumption that dearMoon would launch by the end of 2023,” Maezawa stated on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s a developmental project so it is what it is, but it is still uncertain as to when Starship can launch.”
The mission was initially to be the first human journey around the moon on SpaceX's Starship, previously known as Big Falcon Rocket. The ambitious plan aimed for a 2023 launch and a 240,000-mile journey. However, as of late 2022, the Starship had not completed even a single orbital test flight, casting doubts on the timeline's feasibility.
Crew Disappointment and Confusion
Maezawa announced his eight-member crew for the mission in late 2022, including notable personalities such as Everyday Astronaut’s Tim Dodd, South Korean idol TOP, and music producer Steve Aoki. The crew had been preparing for the mission, adhering to the 2023 timeline still publicly displayed on the dearMoon website.
The cancellation surprised many crew members. “Had I known this could have ended within a year and a half of it being publicly announced, I would’ve never agreed to it,” said Tim Dodd. “We had no prior knowledge of this possibility.” Irish photographer Rhiannon Adam also expressed skepticism, stating, “I never believed we were going in 2023, or 2024.”
Financial and Strategic Shifts
The dearMoon project was seen as a potential revenue stream to fund the development of SpaceX's ambitious Starship rocket. While the financial details of Maezawa’s down payment were never disclosed, Elon Musk had indicated that it was substantial enough to impact the rocket’s development costs significantly.
Since the original announcement, SpaceX has achieved several significant milestones, including certifying its crewed Dragon spacecraft, launching the Starlink satellite internet service, and increasing its Falcon rocket launches to nearly 100 per year. Additionally, SpaceX secured a landmark contract with NASA to use Starship as a lunar lander for the Artemis program, shifting its focus to fulfilling NASA's requirements.
Changing Fortunes
Maezawa’s financial standing has also seen changes. Forbes reports his net worth is now $1.4 billion, half of what it was when the dearMoon project was first announced. Maezawa has also satisfied some of his space ambitions, having taken a 12-day trip to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule in 2021 with Space Adventures.
The Future of Space Tourism
As SpaceX's priorities evolve, focusing more on governmental and scientific missions, the future of space tourism remains uncertain. The cancellation of the dearMoon mission underscores the challenges and unpredictabilities of private space travel.
SpaceX continues to grow, with its valuation soaring to approximately $200 billion, and revenue doubling to $8.7 billion in 2023. The company's focus on significant contracts and technological advancements suggests a strategic shift away from private missions like dearMoon, at least in the near term.
The cancellation of the dearMoon mission is a stark reminder of the complexities and hurdles in the realm of private space exploration, even as the industry continues to make strides toward a future where space travel might one day become commonplace.