Japanese Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa Cancels “dearMoon” Mission

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has cancelled his highly anticipated “dearMoon” mission, which was set to be the first private flight around the moon. The mission’s team announced this development on Saturday, expressing disappointment over the cancellation.

Initially, the “dearMoon” team aimed to complete the circumlunar flight with celebrities on board by the end of the previous year. However, this target became “unfeasible,” leading to the project’s cancellation. “Without clear schedule certainty in the near-term, it is with a heavy heart that Maezawa made the unavoidable decision to cancel the project,” the mission stated on its website. They also expressed gratitude and apologies to the supporters of the project.

Reasons Behind the Cancellation

In a separate post on the mission website, Maezawa attributed the cancellation to uncertainties in project development. He signed the contract in 2018 with the expectation that the launch would occur by the end of 2023. “It’s a developmental project so it is what it is, but it is still uncertain as to when Starship can launch,” Maezawa explained. “I can’t plan my future in this situation, and I feel terrible making the crew members wait longer, hence the difficult decision to cancel at this point in time.”

The “dearMoon” Mission

Elon Musk’s SpaceX had named Yusaku Maezawa, the founder of Japanese online fashion store Zozo Inc, as its first private passenger in 2018. Three years later, Maezawa made history as the first private passenger to visit the International Space Station in over a decade, launching on a Soyuz rocket.

In 2022, Maezawa announced that K-pop star TOP and DJ Steve Aoki would be among the eight crew members selected for the “dearMoon” mission. However, in November, he revealed that the mission would be delayed until this year or later.

Future Prospects

The cancellation of the “dearMoon” mission highlights the challenges faced in space exploration projects, particularly those dependent on new technologies and precise timelines. Despite this setback, the progress made in private space travel continues to inspire and pave the way for future endeavours.