Elon Musk announced SpaceX is sending two private citizens to the Moon
Man hasn't returned to the Moon since first landing on it 45 years ago, and this will be the first time we go back
Key takeaways
- The mission, which would mark humankind's first return to the moon in more than 45 years, will be funded by two private individuals who approached SpaceX with the proposition.
- The weeklong mission would circle around the moon on an approximately 350,000 mile journey before returning to Earth.
- The mission could prove to be an important step between low Earth orbit and SpaceX's goal of carrying humans to Mars within the next decade or so.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Elon Musk announced SpaceX is sending two private citizens to the Moon', 311 Institute, 28 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/elon-musk-announced-spacex-is-sending-two-private-citizens-to-the-moon/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Yesterday afternoon at 4PM EST SpaceX CEO and polymath Elon Musk, who was recently in Dubai selling 200 self-driving Teslas, announced that SpaceX is planning on sending two private citizens into orbit around the Moon – six months after it plans to carry the company’s first passengers to the International Space Station (ISS).
"I think this should be a really exciting mission that gets the world excited about sending people into deep space again," Musk said in a teleconference.
The mission, which would mark humankind's first return to the moon in more than 45 years, will be funded by two private individuals who approached SpaceX with the proposition. At this point those backers remain anonymous, but Musk said they've placed a significant deposit, and at approximately $35 million a launch you could estimate that they might have payed north of $100 million for the journey of a lifetime.
If all goes according to plan, the Falcon Heavy will lift the Crew Dragon and its two passengers into lunar orbit in late 2018. The weeklong mission would circle around the moon on an approximately 350,000 mile journey before returning to Earth. The mission could prove to be an important step between low Earth orbit and SpaceX's goal of carrying humans to Mars within the next decade or so.
The Falcon Heavy, SpaceX's upcoming heavy lift rocket, is expected to have its maiden launch later this year. The Crew Dragon will already have flown humans to the ISS by the time the moon mission launches. The Crew Dragon's main modifications would be to the communication system, Musk said, to allow for deep space communications.
While developments in rocketry often don't go to plan - with explosions and delays fairly common, for now at least it looks like SpaceX is on track to beat NASA's next crewed mission, which would put astronauts into lunar orbit in the 2020s or perhaps 2019. However, Musk said that if NASA is interested in using SpaceX to send a crewed mission around the moon, he would give them priority.
"I'm not sure if we'll be before or after NASA," said Musk, "but I'm not sure that's really the important thing. I think what matters is the advancement of space exploration... the more the better."
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Man hasn't returned to the Moon since first landing on it 45 years ago, and this will be the first time we go back
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on space and the future of your organisation.
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 28 February 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Elon Musk announced SpaceX is sending two private citizens to the Moon. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/elon-musk-announced-spacex-is-sending-two-private-citizens-to-the-moon/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.