During a conference call with reporters on Monday, Elon Musk said SpaceX will launch two investors on a roughly 1-week mission around the moon.
"I hope this gets people really excited about sending people into deep space again," Musk said.
He added that the two passengers did not yet want to disclose their identity or other details about their background, but did say they were private citizens and were "very serious about it."
The duo will ride a fully autonomous version of the company's Dragon 2 spacecraft with no pilot. SpaceX plans to launch the mission in late 2018 aboard the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch system.
The mission will depart from Cape Canaveral's Launchpad 39A -- the same pad Apollo astronauts launched from in the 1960s and 1970s. From there, Musk said, they will "skim the surface of the moon" in a wide loop, go out past the moon, travel into deep space, and then return to Earth.
Elon Musk: SpaceX is going to launch 2 space tourists 'beyond the moon'
I have to say if there were a lottery for these trips, I would buy a ticket or two.
"I hope this gets people really excited about sending people into deep space again," Musk said.
He added that the two passengers did not yet want to disclose their identity or other details about their background, but did say they were private citizens and were "very serious about it."
The duo will ride a fully autonomous version of the company's Dragon 2 spacecraft with no pilot. SpaceX plans to launch the mission in late 2018 aboard the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch system.
The mission will depart from Cape Canaveral's Launchpad 39A -- the same pad Apollo astronauts launched from in the 1960s and 1970s. From there, Musk said, they will "skim the surface of the moon" in a wide loop, go out past the moon, travel into deep space, and then return to Earth.
Elon Musk: SpaceX is going to launch 2 space tourists 'beyond the moon'
I have to say if there were a lottery for these trips, I would buy a ticket or two.
(and a lot less dangerous)