SpaceX announces a second private flight to the Moon aboard Starship"We can't force the timeline. It will happen when it happens."ERIC BERGER - 10/12/2022, 1:30 PM
SpaceX has announced #Starship’s second private crewed flight to the Moon. Join us live at 1:15pm EDT (17:15 UTC) for the first live interview and Q&A with two crew members, Dennis and Akiko Tito.➡️
Dennis and Akiko Tito are the first two crewmembers on Starship’s second commercial spaceflight around the Moon → spacex.com/updates
Dennis Tito was world’s first commercial astronaut to visit the @space_station. He will now be among the first to fly on Starship
OCTOBER 12, 2022FIRST CREWMEMBERS OF STARSHIP’S SECOND COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHT AROUND THE MOONDennis and Akiko Tito are the first two crewmembers announced on Starship’s second commercial spaceflight around the Moon. This will be Dennis’ second mission to space after becoming the first commercial astronaut to visit the International Space Station in 2001, and Akiko will be among the first women to fly around the Moon on a Starship. The Titos joined the mission to contribute to SpaceX’s long-term goal to advance human spaceflight and help make life multiplanetary.Over the course of a week, Starship and the crew will travel to the Moon, fly within 200 km of the Moon’s surface, and complete a full journey around the Moon before safely returning to Earth. This mission is expected to launch after the Polaris Program’s first flight of Starship and dearMoon.
Dennis kicked down the door more than 20 years ago for commercial human spaceflight and now he is going to the 🌖.. Starship is going to change everything 🚀
https://www.spacex.com/updates/index.html
In an interview at SpaceX's "Starbase" facility, Tito said he and his wife of 2 years, Akiko Tito, hope to fly within 5 years, but "we're prepared to wait as long as it takes to get everything perfected;” they’ll fly with 10 other yet-to-be-named commercial passengers
Fourth crewed Starship ?Polaris is one, DearMoon is two, this one makes three, what is the fourth one ?
SpaceX is hosting a call with Dennis and Akiko Tito, to talk about today's latest private Starship mission announcement.Joining the call is SpaceX director of Starship crew & cargo programs Aarti Matthews.Thread:
Matthews: The mission plan is for about a week-long trip that will travel within 125 miles (~200 kilometers) of the moon's surface before returning to Earth.
Dennis: "I've been wanting to go to the moon since my first trip to space."
Akiko: "I want people to know that they can do whatever they set their mind to -- it's never too late. No matter your age, race or gender, you can make your dreams come true with hard work and determination."
Dennis: "I've been following SpaceX almost on a daily basis, watching YouTube for the last 5 years and I could see that there was an opportunity.""About two years ago, I sold my business and retired and I was looking for something to do."
Dennis notes that "we just purchased two seats," and the lunar flight is "open for 10 others to sign up.""We didn't buy the whole missions," which is "the main difference" compared to the previous two private Starship missions announced so far.
Matthews: "This mission is really groundbreaking in that it puts us on a very firm step towards airline-like operations, where now, for the first time, you can buy an individual seat to the moon."
Dennis: "I don't want to say anything about the cost that's not available publicly."
Dennis: "This is not going to happen in the near term," expecting SpaceX's Starship will have completed "hundreds" of flights before he & his wife launches.
Dennis: "I would love" for SpaceX to change the mission profile for other possibilities. Might "be wishful thinking" yet "if it happened I'm not going to complain."But "I can say unequivocally that we will not be landing on the moon."
Dennis: "One thing that excites us about this project" is the big picture about how it helps "humans to become a space-fairing species."
No decision on whether second lunar Starship mission will launch from Starbase in Texas or Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Dennis Tito expects hundreds of Starship flights before he and wife fly. Expects that ticket prices will come down significantly as Starship point to point travel starts, probably to Concorde levels (which was not cheap).
SpaceX talking to many other potential customers to fill the other 10 seats on the flight to supplement anchor customers the Titos.
Q: Will you have experienced astronaut on the flight. SpaceX A: Dennis [who is 82] went to ISS 21 years ago for 8 days, Akiko flies jets. So we're good. Dennis: I feel confident I can handle it.
Any guess on the cost ticket per person?
Some notes from the call SpaceX is holding with Dennis and Akiko Tito on their Starship circumlunar mission:- no date for the flight, but not happening in the near term;- no price disclosed;- Dennis Tito expects Starship to be better tested when he goes than Soyuz in 2001.Also,- Will be a figure-eight around the Moon, with fueling in LEO before translunar injection;- Could launch from either Boca Chica or KSC;- “A lot of interest” in the other 10 seats on the flight;
Quote from: hektor on 10/12/2022 04:02 pmFourth crewed Starship ?Polaris is one, DearMoon is two, this one makes three, what is the fourth one ?Bloomberg article says NASA
Join myself and @ChrisG_NSF in half an hour as we speak to Dennis and Akiko Tito, the newest customers for a private Starship flight around the moon!
