SpaceX will launch humans around the moon in 2018!

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Music by Tim Dodd (Everyday Astronaut)

SpaceX announced today they plan to send two private citizens around the moon by the end of 2018.

They will be using their Dragon 2 capsule which will have its first crew-less test flight to the international space station this year followed by the first crewed flight by the second quarter of 2018.

The two crew onboard will be private citizens who have paid an undisclosed deposit for the flights.

Another exciting note is they will be doing this with their upcoming Falcon Heavy rocket which is essentially 3 of their Falcon 9 rockets strapped together to become the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V moon rocket which was last flown in the 70s. The Falcon Heavy will have over 5 million pounds of thrust at take off which is 2/3rds the thrust of the Saturn V and more than double that of the next largest rocket currently flying, the Delta IV Heavy.

This will not only be the first time people will have been to the moon since 1972 but also the furthest into space any humans will have ever gone with an to be announced trajectory. What am I most excited about? Seeing 4k video of the earth rising from the moon’s horizon.

Now do keep in mind SpaceX hasn’t launched their Falcon Heavy yet despite saying it’s only “6 months away” since 2013, but we are finally seeing hardware out for testing so we do have faith it will fly in 2017.

So where will you be when the first humans will be launched from Earth to fly around the moon? I know where I’ll be, waiting at Kennedy Space Center with my space suit on just in case they decide they want additional company.