SpaceX to send two private citizens to the moon next year

The company confirmed it is planning the launch after the two private citizens had paid a significant deposit to do a moon mission.

In a statement on its website, it said it expects to conduct health and fitness tests, as well as begin initial training later this year.

It added that the mission is likely to the be the first of many as other flight teams have also expressed a strong interest.

‘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,’ it added.

SpaceX also took the opportunity to thank NASA, without whom it said the trip would not be possible.

The mission will take place in a crewed Dragon spacecraft, for which most of the funding had been provided by NASA’s Commercial Crew program.

It said the launch would also make use of the Falcon Heavy rocket, which was developed with internal SpaceX funding.

Later this year, the company will launch its Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station without a crew.

A crewed mission is then expected to take place in the second quarter of 2018.

Source: http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/27/spacex-to-send-two-people-on-manned-mission-around-the-moon-next-year-6477546/