It was supposed to be one of the largest space flights of the decade and help usher in a new era of space tourism.
But the ‘dearMoon’ mission, which was to transport nine civilians around the moon on SpaceX’s Starship, has been canceled after too many delays.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who conceived and financed the mission, said he made the “difficult decision” as it is still “unclear when Starship can be launched.”
Maezawa reportedly paid SpaceX $80m (£60m) for the trip in 2018, but it is unclear how much he will be reimbursed.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hopes Starship will eventually land humans on the Moon and Mars later this decade, although it’s still stuck in the testing phase.
The Japanese tycoon conceived and financed the ‘dearMoon’ mission, allegedly paying Elon Musk’s company $80 million.
‘It is what it is’: On X, Maezawa said he had assumed dearMoon would be released late last year.
Mr. Maezawa took to X (Twitter) to share the news that the project had been abandoned, having already been “indefinitely delayed” in November.
“I signed the contract in 2018 on the assumption that dearMoon would launch at the end of 2023,” said the billionaire, businessman and art collector.
‘It’s a project in development, so it is what it is, but it’s still unclear when Starship might be launched.
“I can’t plan my future in this situation and I feel terrible making team members wait any longer, hence the difficult decision to cancel at this time.
“I apologize to those who were enthusiastic about completing this project.”
In response to Mr. Maezawa, one X user called the decision “nonsense” and added that “it can’t be expected to happen quickly.”
Someone else responded: “Are you actually canceling because you were hoping the most ambitious human spaceship in history would fly on time?”
The website dearMoon also published a statement calling the project “unviable.”
“Without clear certainty of a short-term schedule, it is with great regret that Maezawa made the inevitable decision to cancel the project,” he said.
Maezawa, who funded the mission, said he made a “difficult decision” as it is still “unclear when Starship can be launched.”
SpaceX’s Starship rocket is shown here during its trip around the Moon. When Starship is finally ready, Elon Musk hopes it will transport people to the Moon and Mars.
In late 2022, Maezawa revealed the eight artists who would join him on the flight, including a K-pop star and a London-based fossil fuel critic.
MailOnline has contacted SpaceX about the amount that will be refunded to Mr Maezawa.
The civilian mission was to orbit the moon aboard SpaceX’s Starship rocket for about seven days (without landing on it) before returning to Earth.
Maezawa was aiming for a trip to the Moon by 2023, a goal that most space observers consider too optimistic given the slow progress of SpaceX’s SpaceX megarocket project.
Starship didn’t reach orbit for the first time until March, although it didn’t manage to successfully land in the ocean as planned (fortunately there was no one on board).
Maezawa said he received requests from more than 1 million people around the world to join him on the “space tourism” trip.
Only eight lucky participants were chosen through a “strict screening and selection process”, including a K-pop star, an American Grammy-nominated music producer and a London-based photographer and fossil fuel critic.
Pictured is Rhiannon Adam, one of eight main crew members that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa planned to take on a trip around the moon.
Yusaku Maezawa, who made money through the fashion industry, launched plans for the lunar trip in 2018, purchasing all the seats on the spacecraft. He is pictured with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
The dearMoon project even had specially created spacesuits to be worn by the crew, designed in-house by SpaceX.
Rhiannon Adam, originally from Ireland, would have become the first openly queer woman to go to space.
When asked about the justification for a ride on a rocket booster that burns two million times faster than the average car, he said “the positives outweigh the negatives.”
Also on board would have been Korea’s Choi Seung-hyun, who started out as an underground rapper before joining Big Bang, one of the world’s biggest boy bands, in 2006.
The dearMoon project even revealed specially created spacesuits to be worn by the crew, designed in-house by SpaceX.
Maezawa, who traveled to the International Space Station in 2021, made his fortune in fashion retail and launched Japan’s largest online fashion mall, Zozotown.
In 2019 he resigned as CEO of e-commerce company Zozo Inc to devote his time to space travel.
Forbes magazine estimates his wealth at $1.9 billion.
Who is Yusaku Maezawa?
Yusaku Maezawa is a Japanese billionaire businessman and art collector.
Born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 1975 (47 years old), he founded the company Start Today Ltd. (now ZOZO, Inc.) in 1998 and launched the online fashion mall ZOZOTOWN in 2004.
The company was listed on TSE Mothers in December 2007 and TSE First Section in February 2012, and its market capitalization exceeded 1 trillion yen in August 2017.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa (pictured) traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) last year and is now financing a trip to space aboard Starship.
In September 2019, Maezawa stepped down as CEO at the same time the company unveiled its business and equity alliance with Yahoo Japan Corporation.
Immediately after, he founded Start Today Inc. and, in 2021, started thirteen businesses of his own, including his own company.
In December 2021, he became the first Japanese civilian to visit the ISS and spent about 12 days on board.
Maezawa launched plans for civilian lunar travel aboard SpaceX’s Starship in 2018, purchasing all the seats on the spacecraft, but it was canceled in 2024.
He would be accompanied by eight artists from around the world, including South Korean K-Pop star TOP, Indian television actor Dev Joshi and British photographer Rhiannon Adam.