updates
Dennis and Akiko Tito join a Starship lunar flyby
On October 12, 2022, SpaceX named Dennis and Akiko Tito as the first two crew on a second commercial Starship flight around the Moon, within 200 km, after dearMoon and Polaris.
Topics: space-civilization starship
This page is an original Muskularity summary. It does not republish SpaceX’s full post. Figures are the company’s statements on the cited date unless another primary link is named.
Summary
SpaceX said Dennis and Akiko Tito were the first two people named to a second commercial Starship flight around the Moon. Dennis Tito’s prior flight, noted in the post, was his 2001 visit to the International Space Station as a commercial astronaut. The new mission is described as about a week: out to the Moon, within 200 kilometers of the surface, around, and home. SpaceX said it was expected to launch after Polaris’s first Starship flight and after dearMoon. No year is given.
A 2026 post later adds Chun Wang to this same lunar plan. That later assignment is not in this 2022 text.
Key facts
| Fact | Label |
|---|---|
| Dennis and Akiko Tito named as the first two crew | Company crew announcement |
| About a week, within 200 km of the Moon | Company mission description |
| Sequenced after Polaris’s first Starship flight and dearMoon | Company plan, undated |
Why it matters
This is a commercial flyby crew, distinct from the NASA landing contract. The 2026 Mars-flyby note treats this lunar trip as the rehearsal.
On this site
Sources
- SpaceX update, October 12, 2022 — Grade A, company post
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