Japanese Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa Cancels Moon Flight Aboard SpaceX’s Starship

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa had initially planned to take a group of artists on a flight around the Moon aboard SpaceX’s Starship. However, due to the ongoing development of the Starship and the indefinite delay in the flight, Maezawa has announced the cancellation of the trip. The news was first announced by the X account for the flight, called dearMoon, and was followed by posts from Maezawa himself. He expressed his disappointment in the situation, stating that he had signed up for the flight in 2018 with the expectation of flying in 2023. However, with the uncertainty surrounding the launch timeline of the Starship, Maezawa felt unable to plan his future accordingly.

Maezawa also mentioned in his post that he felt terrible for making the crew members wait longer for the flight. Some of the individuals he had selected for the journey included DJ Steve Aoki, filmmaker Brendan Hall, musician Choi Seung Hyun, and YouTuber Tim Dodd. The cancellation of the dearMoon project comes shortly after SpaceX’s second flight test of the Starship that ended in an explosion shortly after launch. The company is currently preparing for its fourth test on June 5th, but the technical challenges associated with the Starship are still significant.

One possible reason for the cancellation, as noted by Ars Technica, is SpaceX’s focus on its government contracts, which may have diverted resources away from the dearMoon project. Additionally, Maezawa’s net worth has decreased by half since 2018, although it is still estimated to be over $1 billion. It is worth noting that Maezawa has already been to space once before, riding a Russian Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station where he spent 12 days in 2021.

The cancellation of the Moon flight aboard SpaceX’s Starship by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa marks a significant setback for the dearMoon project. The challenges associated with the development of the Starship, as well as potential competing priorities within SpaceX, have contributed to the decision to cancel the trip. Despite this setback, Maezawa’s continued interest in space exploration and innovative projects suggests that this may not be the end of his ambitions in the realm of space travel.