SpaceX to conduct a manned flyby mission around the moon

[Monsterboy]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/science/spacex-moon-tourists.html?_r=0

SpaceX, the ambitious rocket company headed by Elon Musk, http://www.spacex.com/news/2017/02/27/spacex-send-privately-crewed-dragon- spacecraft -beyond-moon-next-year and back to Earth before the end of next year. If they manage that feat, the passengers would be the first humans to venture that far into space in more than 40 years.

Mr. Musk made the announcement on Monday in a telephone news conference. He said two private individuals approached the company to see if SpaceX would be willing to send them on a weeklong cruise, which would fly past the surface of the moon — but not land — and continue outward before gravity turned the spacecraft around and brought it back to Earth for a landing.

“This would do a long loop around the moon,” Mr. Musk said. The company is aiming to launch this moon mission in late 2018.

“It strikes me as risky,” Dr. Dittmar said, adding that autonomous systems are not infallible. “I find it extraordinary that these sorts of announcements are being made when SpaceX has yet to get crew from the ground to low-Earth orbit.”

I am not an expert in this area, i just want to know what people here think, can SpaceX really do this by 2018 ? or is 2030 more realistic ?

 

[verschrankung]

Hmmm. I think the flight itself might be feasible, especially because it doesn't need to land. However, 'two private individuals' does not sound as though they have trained in spaceflight (although who knows!) and that might be a problem with such a short timeframe. This is very a idealistic article, it may take a few more years. Also, while SpaceX is doing good things for the exploration of the 'final frontier', its dates are far from reliable.

 

[mfb]

See our older thread

2018 is very optimistic, but 2019 or maybe 2020 look possible. This is assuming no rocket failure until then.