Japanese billionaire cancels planned Starship lunar mission
Japanese billionaire cancels planned Starship lunar mission
A Japanese billionaire who was the first commercial customer for SpaceX’s Starship vehicle has abruptly canceled his circumlunar mission.
Some of the people selected for dearMoon spoke out on social media after Maezawa announced the cancellation. “We had no prior knowledge of this possibility,” said Tim Dodd, a YouTube personality known as “Everyday Astronaut.” “I voiced my opinions, even before the announcement, that it was improbable for dearMoon to happen in the next few years.”
He added he was “extremely disappointed” by the decision. “I slowly allowed myself to envision a trip to the Moon one little bit by little bit.”
“We have been dropped, apparently due to impatience,” said Rhiannon Adam, an Irish photographer who was the only woman on the prime crew for dearMoon, who offered a sharper critique of Maezawa’s decision. “As someone with a critical brain, much of this doesn’t make sense, particularly with regard to timeline. I never believed we were going in 2023, or 2024.”
She said she and others selected for dearMoon were willing to wait but were not consulted by Maezawa before he announced the cancellation. “I am left doubting the project’s integrity, and feel used.”
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Another victim of Musk's bullshit parade.
“We have been dropped, apparently due to impatience,”
No, lady, you were dropped because it's going to be ages and Maezawa didn't feel good about Musk's bullshit parade.
Musk sure has derailed since COVID, but making a link between this and the cancellation of DearMoon is... a stretch, at best. Unless you have some source to back up that claim. I'm just nitpicking about the form, since you kind of presented it as a fact while it's pure speculation (to my knowledge).
Yeah, it seems quite possible that the cancellation could be due to changes in Maezawa's finances, and that the Starship delays (which are to be expected in the development of any new launch vehicle) provide an easy way to back out.
Yep, could be a multitude of factors. And as others said, he has flown to the ISS now, so maybe it quenched his desire for spaceflight.
you do you man, I claim no magical insights to that crazypants.
That said: Do you think Musk's behavior engenders confidence in the mission as it slips from months into years away? I'm pretty sure Maezawa didn't intend to cut an interest free loan to Musk indefinitely.
Whatever his (Maezawa's) motivations, Musk's not helping things.
Again, it's fair speculation, and I don't necessarily disagree with you, but it's just that, speculation.