What do you do if you are a billionaire and have already bought a flight into space to visit the International Space Station? You buy a flight into space to travel around the moon onboard SpaceX’s Starship.
That billionaire is Dennis Tito, who announced this week he has purchased a ride for himself and wife on SpaceX’s second circumlunar flight, a date for which has not yet been determined.
According to Tito, he began having discussions with SpaceX about the possible flight in early 2021, eventually signing a contract a few months later. The flight will see Tito and his wife Akiko join 10 other passengers on the week-long flight around the moon. SpaceX hasn’t signed up the other 10 passengers yet.
When it happens, Tito will set a new record to become the oldest person to launch into orbit, and also the oldest to fly to the moon. Tito is currently 82, with the current record held by Senator John Glenn who flew on NASA’s space shuttle Discovery at the age of 77.
Akiko will also become one of the first woman to fly to the moon.
The financial details of the private space flight were not disclosed, but it will likely be more than the $20 million Tito paid in 2001 to travel to the space station. During that mission Tito spent 8 days in orbit, which he called “the greatest moment of my life.”
He probably didn’t think he would be travelling to the moon more than 20 years later.
As mentioned, Tito will be on Starship’s second flight around the moon. The first will go to another billionaire, Yusaka Maezawa, who purchased the ‘dearMoon’ flight for himself and eight members of the public.
Starship orbital flight in November “highly likely”: Elon Musk
