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SpaceX Will Fly This Man Around the Moon in 2023

Sept. 18, 2018
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3 min read
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SpaceX Will Fly This Man Around the Moon in 2023
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SpaceX, the space tourism venture by mega-inventor Elon Musk, announced the name of its first paying customer, who will be launched around in the company's Big Falcon Rocket (aka BFR, which is still in the works) for a flight around the moon.

Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese tech billionaire, said at a press conference on Monday night that he has submitted a down payment for the moon launch, which will reportedly take place in 2023. Neither SpaceX nor Maezawa disclosed the cost of the trip, but the price tag will likely not put too big of a dent in Maezawa's $2.9 billion e-commerce fortune.

Maezawa, a former rock musician who built his empire as an online fashion tycoon with his apparel website Zozotown, said he would be taking six to eight artists on the moon launch with him — free of charge, CNN reports.

"I want to share this experience and things with as many people as possible," Maezawa said at the press conference. "So, I choose to go to the moon with artists."

Speaking with Musk at the press conference, Maezawa called the moon trip a “lifelong dream,” and that out of the three major budding space tourism companies (including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic), SpaceX seemed to be progressing the fastest, and he felt most comfortable with Musk. "I trust his company, his team and his BFR,” Maezawa said.

Musk added that the moon mission will take about four or five days, and once the BFR rocket is built, it will undergo a “bunch of test launches” before passengers would be allowed on board. SpaceX had previously been targeting its Falcon Heavy rocket and Crew Dragon capsule, developed under NASA, for the moon launch, but Musk has since revised the mission plan for the upcoming BFR rocket, which is estimated to cost somewhere around $5 billion, according to the LA Times.

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All three major space tourism companies are inching closer to launching paying tourists into the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere. Richard Branson said earlier this year his Virgin Galactic was just "two or three flights away" from bringing passengers to space. The price tag for customers booking Virgin Galactic flights will clock in at $250,000 per ticket — or 2 million Virgin Atlantic miles will get you entered into a drawing for a space on a Virgin rocket.

SpaceX has launched 16 rockets so far this year — though none with paying passengers yet. In addition to the moon mission, Musk is setting out on a project to get humans into space to colonize Mars. Musk wants to send 1 million people to the Red Planet and expects SpaceX rockets to start reaching Mars in 2019.

Featured image by AFP/Getty Images

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Why We Chose It

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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