Sudden, brief, and unexpected: dearMoon crew laments cancellation of private SpaceX Starship moon mission
The dearMoon crew, a group of eight creatives working in various disciplines, recently expressed their disappointment after Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa canceled their planned private flight around the moon. The mission, known as dearMoon, was called off due to delays with SpaceX’s Starship megarocket, which has yet to conduct a crewed test flight. Maezawa initially booked the trip in 2018 and invited artists to join him with the expectation that the project would launch by the end of 2023.
While some crew members, like Yemi A.D. and Tim Dodd, have shared their regret over the mission’s cancellation, others, such as Rhiannon Adam and Brendan Hall, criticized Maezawa’s decision, stating that they would have been willing to wait longer for Starship to be ready. The crew was prepared to invest many years into the mission and were surprised by the sudden cancellation.
SpaceX’s Starship, the world’s tallest and most powerful rocket, has faced setbacks during its test flights. Despite recent progress, Maezawa’s decision to cancel the flight was based on uncertainty over when Starship would be prepared for the dearMoon mission. Crew members expressed disappointment over the project’s optimistic timeline and lack of transparency, but also mentioned the positive experiences and new friendships gained through dearMoon.
The cancellation of the dearMoon mission has left the crew members with mixed emotions, ranging from sadness and frustration to gratitude for the opportunities and connections made. As they navigate this unexpected turn of events, the crew remains committed to supporting space exploration projects and inspiring others to pursue their own moonshots.
For breaking space news, updates on rocket launches, skywatching events, and more, stay tuned to our Space Forums. If you have a news tip, correction, or comment, reach out to us at community@space.com. Samantha Mathewson, a journalist with a background in journalism and environmental science, contributed to this article.
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Keywords: dearMoon crew, SpaceX Starship, private moon mission, Yusaku Maezawa, space exploration, mission cancellation, crew disappointment, Starship test flights, space industry
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