Calling all wannabe space cadets! A round-trip to the moon is a thing that’s actually happening as two lucky people prepare for a 2018 lift-off.
The mystery duo will be the first private tourists to go beyond the International Space Station, thanks to space travel company SpaceX, travelling around the moon before heading back to Earth again. Lift-off will be from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Pad 39 in Florida, the same site used by the Apollo programme for its lunar missions in 1969.
The ‘Dragon’ spacecraft is currently under development by Nasa - although aims to get the plan off the ground by late 2018 might be a little ambitious, as the spacecraft is yet to be fully tested. Yes, it’s pretty exciting, and yes, we bet they can’t wait, but anyone wanting to return to Earth in one piece will probably allow the guys at Nasa some extra time to make sure everything’s 100% ready to go, right?
Although the exact price tag figure has yet to be disclosed, it’ll probably cost the pair around the $20 million mark each: the rate the Russian government have previously set for space tourists heading upwards. So something else that we’ll probably never be able to afford then.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is keeping the identities of the pair quiet, but says they know each other – and they’re 'not from Hollywood'.
In a statement, he said: '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.' Wowwww.
Before lift-off late next year, the paying passengers will have to undergo rigorous health and fitness tests and multiple rounds of training to make sure the mission goes to plan.
But if one thing’s for certain – it’s official, guys: we’re living in the future. The first two people have booked their 2018 holiday to the moon. But how to decide who gets the window seat?
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.