Since the year 1969, when humans first left footprints on the moon, millions have since gazed at the nearby rock in orbit hoping to do the same. For two lucky individuals, that dream will soon become a reality.
CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, is ambitious to send two tourists to the moon. Reportedly, the unnamed pair has paid the company quite a bit of money up front to take part in the groundbreaking mission. The venture could take place as soon as 2018.
SpaceX announced the exciting venture but left few clues as to who the duo traveling to the moon might be. They aren’t Hollywood celebrities as far as anyone knows, but that leaves a long list of possibilities open. The company declared,
“…these individuals will travel into space carrying the hopes and dreams of all humankind, driven by the universal human spirit of exploration.”
The fortunate humans who will be venturing to the moon as soon as next year will be aboard the Crew Dragon, or Dragon Version 2, which has not yet visited space. BBC reports that the Dragon capsules have been sent to the International Space Station (ISS), but the version designed for the crew – complete with life-support equipment – won’t blast off until the end of this year in an unmanned demonstration mission to the ISS. The test launch must take place before living beings are onboard the vessel, of course.
SpaceX says that the moon trip could be at least six to seven days long. A portion of the statement reads:
“This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years and they will travel faster and further into the Solar System than any before them.”
Unsurprisingly, this is a stepping stone in the company’s mission to send humans to Mars – which, more than likely, will take place in the next few decades.
In wake of SpaceX’s monumental announcement, NASA replied that it commends their “industry partners for reaching higher.” CEO Musk made sure to clarify that the moon mission wouldn’t be possible without the agency.
What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!
This article (Elon Musk Is Sending Two Lucky Citizens To The Moon Next Year) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com
