The final round of preparations towards the goal of sending a man to the moon in 2024 is going to take place in 2023. From NASA’s manned space missions to private space companies’ lunar missions, excitement is in the final lap. Among NASA’s achievements in 2022 was the successful launch of the SLS rocket for the Artemis mission. Testing of engines and boosters for the Artemis III mission to return humans to the moon is underway. NASA also aims to make the Moon a staging ground for a trip to Mars, rather than re-landing via the Artemis mission.
NASA has studied in detail 13 possible landing sites on the Moon’s South Pole. Axim Space, a private space company, manufactures all the equipment needed to walk on the moon, including space suits, for the members of the Artemis mission on the moon. Collins Aerospace will also manufacture new space suits for travelers on the International Space Station. NASA has awarded the contract to SpaceX to build a spacecraft for long-term human exploration projects on the Moon.
NASA also received applications from companies to build a lunar probe that can be driven on the moon. NASA selects for the mission any vehicle that can successfully overcome challenges similar to those on the Moon in an artificial environment constructed on Earth. NASA has adopted the approach of encouraging private companies to actively participate in future space missions.
Steps to realize the missions of private space companies are also progressing rapidly. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Masewa announced in December that he had purchased all eight tickets for SpaceX’s first lunar mission. Maseva also announced who has been selected for the trip.
The group consists of DJ Steve Aoki, musician Choi Seung Hyun, dancer Yemi AD, photographer Rhiannon Adam, YouTuber Tim Dodd, photographer Karim Ilia, filmmaker Brendan Hall and actor Dev D Joshi. In case they are unable to go, two people have been announced as replacements. The replacements are snowboarder Kathleen Farrington and dancer Miu.
Maezawa is the owner of Sosotown, Japan’s largest online clothing store. In 2018, Elon Musk announces that SpaceX will travel to the moon for the Japanese billionaire. SpaceX’s trip to the moon will be on the Big Falcon rocket. As early as 2023, efforts were already underway at SpaceX to make Maezawa’s crew a reality.