Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire and SpaceX’s first commercial customer for the Starship vehicle, has unexpectedly canceled his ambitious lunar mission. Announced on June 1, the “dearMoon” mission, which aimed to take Maezawa and eight artists on a circumlunar journey, has been called off due to significant delays and uncertainties surrounding the project’s timeline.
Mission Delays and Uncertainty
The dearMoon project, initially set for a 2023 launch, has faced continuous setbacks. “Arrangements were being made with SpaceX to target the launch by the end of 2023,” stated the project’s official communication. However, the feasibility of meeting this deadline diminished, and without a clear schedule, Maezawa made the tough decision to cancel. “I signed the contract in 2018 based on the assumption that dearMoon would launch by the end of 2023,” Maezawa shared on social media. “I can’t plan my future in this situation, and I feel terrible making the crew members wait longer, hence the difficult decision to cancel at this point in time.”
Initial Hopes and Realities
Maezawa’s commitment to the mission began in 2018, when SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, introduced him as the first customer for the then-named Big Falcon Rocket (BFR). Musk highlighted Maezawa’s down payment as significant, emphasizing its impact on the Starship program. Despite ambitious goals, Musk had cautioned that the 2023 target might not be achievable. “You have to set some kind of date that’s the things-go-right date,” Musk noted, acknowledging the inevitable realities that often derail such plans.
Current Status of Starship
To date, SpaceX’s Starship has neither flown to the moon nor carried people or even reached orbit. Preparations are underway for the fourth integrated test flight of Starship/Super Heavy, slated for no earlier than June 6. This test aims to demonstrate the capability of both the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage to return to the surface intact. SpaceX is prioritizing the development of Starship for NASA’s Human Landing System contract and to support the launch of Starlink satellites.
Crew Reactions
The eight individuals selected for the dearMoon mission expressed their surprise and disappointment following the cancellation. Tim Dodd, a YouTube personality known as “Everyday Astronaut,” stated, “We had no prior knowledge of this possibility. I voiced my opinions, even before the announcement, that it was improbable for dearMoon to happen in the next few years.”
Rhiannon Adam, an Irish photographer and the only woman on the prime crew, offered a more critical perspective. “We have been dropped, apparently due to impatience. As someone with a critical brain, much of this doesn’t make sense, particularly with regard to the timeline. I never believed we were going in 2023, or 2024,” Adam remarked, indicating that the crew was ready to wait but were not consulted before the cancellation.
Maezawa’s Space Adventures
Despite this setback, Maezawa has not been deterred from space travel. In December 2021, he and his assistant, Yozo Hirano, embarked on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz spacecraft, spending ten days in space. This trip was arranged by Space Adventures, a space tourism company.
Future of Commercial Lunar Missions
Another commercial lunar mission involving Starship remains in the pipeline. Dennis Tito, the first commercial space tourist to visit the ISS, announced in October 2022 that he and his wife, along with up to ten others, would undertake a circumlunar mission on Starship. However, no specific dates or further updates have been provided for this mission.
The cancellation of the dearMoon project underscores the complexities and uncertainties inherent in pioneering commercial space travel, highlighting the challenges that even well-funded private missions face in achieving their ambitious goals.
