> Regarding the dearMoon project cancellation.
> I signed the contract in 2018 based on the assumption that dearMoon would launch by the end of 2023.
> It’s a developmental project so it is what it is, but it is still uncertain as to when Starship can launch.
> I can’t plan my future in this situation, and I feel terrible making the crew members wait longer, hence the difficult decision to cancel at this point in time.
> I apologize to those who were excited for this project to happen.
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Essentially, he can't setup a training regimen for his astronauts, if he doesn't know when and if the launch vessel will ever exist, much less get a license.
There were 8-9 people that were supposed to travel, they are not professional astronauts, they have lives and careers, you can at best book an year of their time, but there that only works when you know that at the end of that year, you WILL launch, otherwise the skills get rusty, not to mention life gets in the way.
Compare with Jared Isaacman and his Inspiration4 launch, the rocket and the capsule (Falcon 9 and Dragon) already existed and flight tested, he just had to take care of his end of the bargain and then the rocket was ready to take off.
It doesn't really add up. The schedule was always uncertain. Why not postpone? Why a big announcement only a year and a half ago? Seems pretty cruel to all the people selected to take the trip...
Probably all the explosions and bad reentries in the timeframe when he was supposed to already be launched gave thoughts of the Titan submarine. When he first signed up it was supposed to have something totally different for the heat shield, transpiration cooling or something.
Plus tying your money up at 0% interest rates is different than at 4.5%.
Part of me thinks this was always a publicity stunt - he never expected the rocket to succeed. And now that the possibilty of it succeeding looks increasingly likely, he's backing out. SpaceX's timelines have always been highly optimistic, as he would have been well aware of when he signed up.
Keep in mind also that this Dear Moon sign-up happened in 2018, which is before the whole OceanGate Titanic Submersible catastrophe of last year. I'm sure it has played on the minds of him, his co-passengers (who he signed up for), and their friends and family.
> Regarding the dearMoon project cancellation. > I signed the contract in 2018 based on the assumption that dearMoon would launch by the end of 2023. > It’s a developmental project so it is what it is, but it is still uncertain as to when Starship can launch.
https://twitter.com/yousuckMZ/status/1796778109259403300
> I can’t plan my future in this situation, and I feel terrible making the crew members wait longer, hence the difficult decision to cancel at this point in time. > I apologize to those who were excited for this project to happen.
____
Essentially, he can't setup a training regimen for his astronauts, if he doesn't know when and if the launch vessel will ever exist, much less get a license.
There were 8-9 people that were supposed to travel, they are not professional astronauts, they have lives and careers, you can at best book an year of their time, but there that only works when you know that at the end of that year, you WILL launch, otherwise the skills get rusty, not to mention life gets in the way.
Compare with Jared Isaacman and his Inspiration4 launch, the rocket and the capsule (Falcon 9 and Dragon) already existed and flight tested, he just had to take care of his end of the bargain and then the rocket was ready to take off.