BREAKING! Maezawa Cancels DearMoon Mission

In a move that has left space enthusiasts and aspiring astronauts worldwide shocked, Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa has announced the cancellation of dearMoon, the world's first civilian circumlunar voyage aboard SpaceX's Starship.

Originally slated for launch by the end of 2023, the mission aimed to take a group of artists and visionaries on a week-long journey around the Moon and back.

The dearMoon project, announced in 2018, represented an ambitious vision to bring together artists from various disciplines to experience space travel and share their journey with the world. Maezawa, who purchased all the seats aboard the SpaceX rocket, planned to select eight crew members from around the globe. His goal was to provide talented individuals with an unparalleled opportunity to draw inspiration from the vastness of space.

The Crew

Following a global crew application call, a crew of 8 individuals where picked.

• Yusaku Maezawa (MZ), Entrepreneur from Japan

• Steve Aoki, DJ and Producer from the US

• TOP (Choi Sung Hyun), Musician from South Korea

• Remi A.D., Multi-disciplinary Creative from the Czech Republic

• Rhiannon Adam, Photographic Artist from Ireland

• Tim Dodd (The Everyday Astronaut), YouTuber from the US

• Karim Iliya, Photographer from the UK

• Brendan Hall, Filmmaker from the US

• Dev D. Joshi, Actor from India

Additionally, Kaitlyn Farrington, a snowboarder from the US, and Miyu, a dancer from Japan, were selected as backup crew members.

An Uncertain Future

Despite meticulous planning and fervent anticipation, the project has faced significant delays.

"Unfortunately, however, launch within 2023 became unfeasible, and without clear schedule certainty in the near-term, it is "with a heavy heart that Maezawa made the unavoidable decision to cancel the project," - DearMoon Press Release from Maezawa

"To all who have supported this project and looked forward to this endeavor, we sincerely appreciate it and apologize for this outcome." - DearMoon Press Release from Maezawa

"We will hold deep respect for SpaceX as they continue to venture into uncharted territories, while we ourselves will move on to the next challenge," - DearMoon Press Release from Maezawa

Tim Dodd's Reaction

Tim Dodd, one of the selected crew members and a well-known YouTuber, expressed his feelings about the cancellation on social media platform X.

"And just like that, the dreams of my crew are over....A part of me doesn’t feel I’m entitled to grieve since I wasn’t entitled to this mission in the first place. But the reality is, I’ll need to allow myself to grieve this loss as it became a big part of my life, my dreams, and my visions,"

His words and emotions resonated with many who had followed the project closely and were inspired by the dream of civilian space travel!

DearMoon's Impact

The dearMoon project, despite its cancellation, has left an indelible mark on the collective imagination of space enthusiasts. It highlighted the potential for civilian space travel and the unifying power of shared dreams and aspirations.

While this particular journey may have come to an end, the spirit of exploration and creativity it embodied will undoubtedly inspire future endeavors in the realm of space exploration; and one day in the not far distant future; a new crew will be formed, for a new mission, that will reach to the moon and maybe one day not long after to mars, with an all civilian crew like the DearMoon crew!

On behalf of TLP Crew, thank you to the entire DearMoon crew for their inspiration; though this mission has ended the impact of your dedication and willingness to take a risk as left a permeant mark on human spaceflight exploration!