The DearMoon crew took to social media to share their disappointment following the abrupt cancellation of the mission.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa canceled his planned flight around the moon on June 1 due to delays at SpaceX Starship mega rocket, which has not yet made a single manned test flight. Maezawa initially booked the private trip in 2018 and invited eight artists to join him, expecting that the project, called dear Moonwould be launched at the end of 2023.
“I cannot plan my future in this situation and I hate that the crew members have to wait longer, hence the difficult decision to cancel at this time,” Maezawa said. a statement on X (formerly Twitter). “I apologize to those who were excited about the realization of this project.”
Related: Japanese billionaire cancels private flight around the moon with SpaceX’s giant spaceship
The dear Moon crew consisted of eight creatives working in disciplines ranging from music to photography, film and YouTube. Although no scientific experiments or other responsibilities were expected of the crew (other than basic mission safety obligations), the hope was that the artists would do so. create works inspired by the journey.
Following Maezawa’s decision to abort the mission, some crew members expressed disappointment at losing their chance to fly in space.
“I am sorry to share this unfortunate news,” said Yemi AD, one of the dear Moon crew members and multidisciplinary creator, in a statement about X. “Although the #dearMoon mission has come to an end, my commitment to space exploration projects and supporting young, underprivileged individuals in achieving their own Moonshots remains unwavering.”
I regret to share this unfortunate news. Although the #dearMoon mission has come to an end, my commitment to space exploration projects and supporting young, underprivileged individuals in achieving their own Moonshots remains steadfast. In addition to my work with Moonshot Platform… https://t.co/FCO6bvXsuT pic.twitter.com/NLfYa0kelsJune 4, 2024
Crew member and Everyday Astronaut founder Tim Dodd also shared feelings of disappointment in a lengthy response to the mission’s cancellation. “But the reality is that I have to allow myself to grieve this loss as it has become a huge part of my life, my dreams and my visions,” Dodd said in his message on X.
I regret to share this unfortunate news. Although the #dearMoon mission has come to an end, my commitment to space exploration projects and supporting young, underprivileged individuals in achieving their own Moonshots remains steadfast. In addition to my work with Moonshot Platform… https://t.co/FCO6bvXsuT pic.twitter.com/NLfYa0kelsJune 4, 2024
Meanwhile, other crew members have criticized Maezawa’s decision, suggesting it was made unilaterally and in haste.
“You didn’t ask us if we minded waiting or giving us an option or discussing the fact that you were thinking about canceling until you had already made the decision,” said Rhiannon Adam, top Moon crew member and photographer from Ireland , in a statement about X. “I can only speak for myself, but I would have waited until it was done.”
I’m sorry, but as a crew member this is not good. You didn’t ask us if we minded waiting or giving us an option or discussing your consideration of canceling until you had already made the decision. I can only speak for myself, but I would have waited until it was done.June 1, 2024
Filmmaker and crew member Brendan Hall shared similar sentiments in a public statement shared online, suggesting that the decision to cancel was made solely by Maezawa and that the crew would have waited longer for Starship to be ready.
“Our crew, from the many conversations we’ve had together, was willing to wait as long as it took for this flight to take place,” Hall said. said in the statement. “As many of us know, shifting timelines are inherent to spaceflight. Every day the space industry reaches a milestone once thought impossible. Throughout these years, our crew has remained well informed about Starship’s development through publicly available information and discourse, and were well aware that our investment of potentially many years in this mission was sudden, short and unexpected.
SpaceXThe Starship and its Super Heavy booster are the world’s tallest and most powerful rocket ever to fly. The first unmanned test flight launched in April 2023 but failed to reach space. The second test flight in November 2023 flew higher but also failed.
During the vehicle’s third test flight, on March 14 this year, Starship reached orbital velocity, but neither the spacecraft nor the booster survived upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. a fourth Starship test flight launched on June 6, making a successful landing before crashing into the Indian Ocean.
Despite the vehicle’s progress, Maezawa’s decision to cancel the flight ultimately came down to uncertainty about when Starship would be ready to fly the DearMoon mission.
“I understand the financial implications for MZ, that this was expensive. It was a generous dream. But the reality is that it was all it was,” Adam said another post on X. “To have it taken away so unceremoniously and with so little concern for us – that undermines the stated mission values we relied on.”
Dodd also commented on the project’s optimistic timeline and lack of transparency.
“The only thing I have a problem with is the timeline. If I had known this could have ended within a year and a half of the public announcement, I would never have agreed to it,” Dodd later said in his post on no prior knowledge of this possibility. I expressed my opinion even before the announcement that DearMoon was unlikely to happen in the next few years.”
Although Dodd noted that he was “extremely disappointed,” he also stated that he “gained new friends, had new adventures, and learned more about [himself]” via DearMoon, despite the mission cancellation.