Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, citing lingering uncertainties surrounding the timeline of the project, has made the difficult decision to cancel his much-anticipated lunar flyby voyage aboard a SpaceX vehicle. The ambitious endeavor, first announced in 2018, aimed to propel Maezawa and eight carefully selected companions on a groundbreaking journey around the moon.
Maezawa, eager to embark on his second space expedition following his 12-day sojourn to the International Space Station in 2021, had set his sights on a 2023 launch for the lunar flyby. However, space industry experts widely viewed this target as overly optimistic, given the ongoing development of SpaceX's mammoth Starship project, which serves as the cornerstone of the lunar mission.
The mission's organizers, acknowledging the evolving circumstances, released a statement on Saturday expressing their disappointment but recognizing the inevitability of Maezawa's decision: Without clear schedule certainty in the near-term, it is with a heavy heart that Maezawa made the unavoidable decision to cancel the project.
Maezawa, in a separate message posted on Twitter, elaborated on his reasons for cancelling the project, emphasizing the prolonged delay in the Starship's development and its impact on his and his crew's ability to plan for the future. He expressed his remorse for disappointing those eagerly anticipating the mission.
The dearMoon project, as it was dubbed, had garnered significant attention, with Maezawa meticulously selecting eight individuals from a pool of over a million applicants to join him on the lunar odyssey. The group comprised a diverse array of talents, including T.O.P, the lead rapper of the renowned K-pop group Big Bang, American DJ Steve Aoki, and filmmaker Brendan Hall.
In 2018, Maezawa entered into a contract with SpaceX, anticipating the launch would occur by the end of 2023. However, the project's developmental nature and the inherent uncertainties associated with pioneering endeavors such as Starship's mega-rocket have pushed the timeline beyond its initial projections.
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has conducted three test flights of Starship, but these have not been without setbacks. Two of the tests culminated in spectacular explosions shortly after liftoff, while a third resulted in the loss of the spacecraft during its descent back to Earth.
Despite these setbacks, Maezawa remains undeterred in his passion for space exploration and his commitment to fostering its accessibility. In December 2021, he and his producer became the first self-paying tourists to visit the International Space Station since 2009.
While the cancellation of the lunar flyby mission is undoubtedly a disappointment, it underscores the complexities and challenges inherent in pushing the boundaries of space travel. As the development of Starship progresses and the timeline for its launch becomes clearer, Maezawa and his team will undoubtedly reassess the feasibility of their lunar ambitions.
