Elon Musk's Starship To Fly World's 1st Space Tourist Dennis Tito Around Moon

Elon Musk’s SpaceX announced on Wednesday the names of two crew members who have booked their seats on Starship’s commercial spaceflight around the Moon.

What Happened: Dennis Tito and his wife, Akiko, will be on board Starship on its second spaceflight around the Moon, SpaceX said.

For Tito, this would be his second mission to space. He has the distinction of being the first commercial astronaut to visit the International Space Station, or ISS, in 2001.

Akiko will be among the first women to fly around the Moon on a Starship, SpaceX said.

See Also: Elon Musk's Starship Launch To Cost Just $10 Per Kg: How It Compares With 'Heavy Lifters' From 5 Decades Ago

“The Titos joined the mission to contribute to SpaceX’s long-term goal to advance human spaceflight and help make life multi-planetary," SpaceX said in a statement.

The Titos will be joined by 10 more yet-to-be-signed-up passengers on the mission, reported Space.com.

Why It's Important: Tito, aged 82 years, could become the oldest person to launch into orbit and fly around the Moon. 

SpaceX said the Starship and its crew will travel to the Moon, fly within 200 km of its surface and complete one full journey around it before returning. The mission, which will run through a week, is scheduled after the Polaris Program’s first flight of Starship and dearMoon, added SpaceX.

Tito's flight may not materialize in the near term, as SpaceX is still testing Starship prototypes and is yet to reach orbit with any of those.

The company has previously announced two private Starship flights — one purchased by billionaire Jared Isaacman and another by billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. They both bought the entire flight.