Two private space tourists plan to boldly go where no thrill-seeker has gone before, travelling on the world’s most powerful rocket for a 400,000-mile trip around the moon next year.
The entrepreneur Elon Musk announced the plans last night, saying that the two customers who have signed up for the week-long ride are “very serious” about going and have put down a significant deposit. The total cost is in excess of $80 million each.
SpaceX’s manned Dragon capsule will be launched from Florida
MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS
“Like the Apollo astronauts before them, these individuals will travel into space carrying the hopes and dreams of all humankind, driven by the universal human spirit of exploration,” SpaceX, Mr Musk’s company, announced.
“This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years