The world’s first space tourist wants to go back—only this time, he’s signed up for a spin around the moon aboard Elon Musk’s Starship.
October 12, 2022
The world’s first space tourist wants to go back—only this time, he’s signed up for a spin around the moon aboard Elon Musk’s Starship.
For Dennis Tito, 82, it’s a chance to relive the joy of his trip to the International Space Station, now that he’s retired with time on his hands. He isn’t interested in hopping on a 10-minute flight to the edge of space or repeating what he did 21 years ago. «Been there, done that.»
His weeklong moonshot—its date to be determined and years in the future—will bring him within 125 miles (200 kilometers) of the lunar far side. He’ll have company: his wife, Akiko, and 10 others willing to shell out big bucks for the ride.
Tito won’t say how much he’s paying; his Russian station flight cost $20 million.
The couple recognize there’s a lot of testing and development still ahead for Starship, a shiny, bullet-shaped behemoth that’s yet to even attempt to reach space.
«We have to keep healthy for as many years as it’s going to take for SpaceX to complete this vehicle,» Tito said in an interview this week with The Associated Press. «I might be sitting in a rocking chair, not doing any good exercise, if it wasn’t for this mission.»
Tito is actually the second billionaire to make a Starship reservation for a flight around the moon.
