Japanese billionaire’s ‘$80 million’ flight around the moon with eight other civilians aboard a SpaceX rocket is CANCELLED after too many delays

It was supposed to be one of the largest space flights of the decade and herald a new era of space tourism.

But the ‘dearMoon’ mission – which would carry nine civilians around the moon on SpaceX’s Starship – has been canceled after too many delays.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa – who conceived and funded the mission – said he made the “difficult decision” because it is still “uncertain when Starship will be able to launch.”

Mr Maezawa reportedly paid SpaceX $80 million (£60 million) for the trip in 2018, but it is unclear how much he will be reimbursed.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hopes Starship will eventually land humans on the moon and Mars later this decade, although it is still stuck in the testing phase.

The Japanese magnate conceived and financed the ‘dearMoon’ mission, reportedly paying $80 million to Elon Musk’s firm.

‘It is what it is’: As for X, Mr Maezawa said he had assumed DearMoon would launch late last year

Mr Maezawa shared the news via X (Twitter) that the project had been halted, having already been ‘postponed indefinitely’ in November.

“I signed the contract in 2018 based on the assumption that DearMoon would be launched by the end of 2023,” says the billionaire entrepreneur and art collector.

“It’s a development project, so it is what it is, but it’s still uncertain when Starship can launch.

‘In this situation I cannot plan my future, and I hate that the crew members have to wait longer, hence the difficult decision to cancel at this time.

“I apologize to those who were excited about making this project a reality.”

Responding to Mr Maezawa, an

Someone else replied: “You’re actually canceling because you expected the most ambitious human spacecraft in history to fly on time?”

DearMoon’s website also published a statement calling the project ‘unfeasible’.

“Without clear short-term planning certainty, it is with a heavy heart that Maezawa has made the inevitable decision to cancel the project,” the report said.

Mr Maezawa – who funded the mission – said he made the “difficult decision” because it is still “uncertain when Starship will be able to launch”.

SpaceX’s Starship rocket is pictured here on its journey around the moon. When Starship is eventually completed, Elon Musk hopes it will transport people to the moon and Mars

In late 2022, Maezawa revealed the eight artists who would join him on the flight, including a K-pop star and a London-based fossil fuel critic.

MailOnline has contacted SpaceX about what amount Mr Maezawa will be reimbursed.

The civilian mission would orbit the moon aboard SpaceX’s Starship rocket (without landing on it) for about seven days before returning to Earth.

Mr. Maezawa took aim at the lunar voyage by 2023, a target seen by most space observers as overly optimistic given the slow progress of SpaceX’s Spaceship mega-rocket project.

The spacecraft did not reach Earth’s orbit for the first time until March, although it did not make a successful landing in the ocean as planned (fortunately no one was on board).

Mr Maezawa said he has received requests from more than 1 million people from around the world to join him on the ‘space tourism’ trip.

Only eight lucky participants were chosen through a ‘strict screening and selection process’, including a K-pop star, an American Grammy-nominated music producer and a London-based photographer and fossil fuel critic.

Pictured is Rhiannon Adam, one of the eight key crew members that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa planned to take on a trip around the moon

Yusaku Maezawa, who made his money from the fashion industry, launched plans for the moon trip in 2018 and bought all the seats on the spaceship. He is pictured here with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk

The DearMoon project even had specially made spacesuits to be worn by the crew, designed in-house by SpaceX

Rhiannon Adam, originally from Ireland, is believed to have become the first openly queer woman to go to space.

When asked about the justification for taking a ride on a rocket launch booster that burns two million times faster than an average car, she said the “positives outweigh the negatives.”

Also on board would have been Korean Choi Seung-hyun, who started out as an underground rapper before joining Big Bang, one of the world’s top boy bands, in 2006.

The DearMoon project even revealed the specially made spacesuits to be worn by the crew, designed in-house by SpaceX.

Mr Maezawa – who made a trip to the International Space Station in 2021 – made his fortune in retail by launching Japan’s largest online fashion shopping mall, Zozotown.

In 2019, he resigned as CEO of e-commerce company Zozo Inc to devote his time to space travel.

Forbes magazine estimates his net worth at $1.9 billion.

Who is Yusaku Maezawa?

Yusaku Maezawa is a Japanese billionaire, entrepreneur and art collector.

Born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan in 1975 (age 47), he founded the company Start Today Ltd. in 1998. (currently ZOZO, Inc.) and launched the online fashion shopping center ZOZOTOWN in 2004.

The company was listed on the TSE Mothers in December 2007 and on the TSE First Section in February 2012, and its market capitalization exceeded 1 trillion yen as of August 2017.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa (pictured) went to the International Space Station (ISS) last year and is now financing a trip to space aboard Starship

In September 2019, Maezawa stepped down as CEO, at the same time the company opened its capital and business alliance with Yahoo Japan Corporation.

Immediately afterwards he founded Start Today Inc. on and in 2021 he started thirteen of his own companies, including his own.

In December 2021, he became the first Japanese citizen to visit the ISS, spending about twelve days on board.

Maezawa launched plans for the civilian moon trip aboard SpaceX’s Starship in 2018, purchasing all the seats on the spaceship, but it was canceled in 2024.

Eight artists from around the world were expected to join him, including South Korean K-Pop star TOP, Indian TV actor Dev Joshi and British photographer Rhiannon Adam.