In a turn of events that has rippled through the space industry, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has officially canceled the much-anticipated dearMoon mission, the first private lunar orbit mission, citing persistent delays and a lack of clear future scheduling with SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft. The mission, which had generated global interest since its announcement in 2018, was to include a group of artists and celebrities such as K-pop star T.O.P and DJ Steve Aoki. Maezawa apologized to the crew and supporters, expressing his disappointment over the decision to cancel the pioneering space voyage . SpaceX is still planning its next Starship test for June 5th, which is crucial for future NASA moon landings under the Artemis program. In other space-related developments, NASA has clarified that reports of a rare ‘planetary parade’ are inaccurate. Instead, the agency has announced that a lineup of Saturn, the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter will grace the morning sky on June 29. This follows the agency’s efforts to set expectations for celestial events in June, which include the visibility of several planets and the phases of the Moon. Simultaneously, Boeing is gearing up for a pivotal moment with its Starliner spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch on its first manned test flight to the International Space Station (ISS). The flight, carrying NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, is a key step in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and represents Boeing’s efforts to recover from past setbacks and establish a reliable means of transporting astronauts to the ISS. The launch is scheduled for Saturday at 12:25 PM Eastern time, with weather conditions reported to be 90% favorable.
Key points
- Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa cancels the dearMoon mission due to SpaceX’s Starship development delays.
- NASA debunks ‘planetary parade’ reports, but confirms upcoming celestial alignments.
- Boeing’s Starliner is set for its first manned test flight to the ISS, marking a significant step for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
