It was supposed to be one of the biggest space flights of the decade and help usher a new era of space tourism.
But the 'dearMoon' mission – which was set to transport nine civilians around the moon on SpaceX's Starship – has been cancelled after too many delays.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa – who conceived and financed the mission – said he made the 'difficult decision' as it is still 'uncertain as to when Starship can launch'.
Mr Maezawa reportedly paid SpaceX $80 million (£60 million) for the trip back in 2018, but it's unclear how much he will get refunded.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hopes Starship will eventually land humans on the moon and Mars later this decade, although it's still stuck in the testing phase.
The Japanese tycoon conceived and financed the 'dearMoon' mission, reportedly paying Elon Musk's firm $80 million
'It is what it is': Taking to X, MrMaezawa said he'd assumed dearMoon would launch by the end of last year
What was dearMoon?
The dearMoon project was a lunar tourism mission conceived and financed by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa.
Aboard SpaceX's Starship rocket, the civilian crew would have orbited the moon for about seven days (without landing on it) before returning to Earth.
The passengers would have been Maezawa, eight other civilians who are all artists or creatives, and one or two crew members.
The trip was expected to happen in 2023 before being ''delayed indefinitely' in November of that year and finally cancelled in June 2024.
<!- - ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/gb/sciencetech/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 - ->
Advertisem*nt
MrMaezawa took to X (Twitter) to share the news that the project had been ditched, having already been 'delayed indefinitely' back in November.
'I signed the contract in 2018 based on the assumption that dearMoon would launch by the end of 2023,' said the billionaire, an entrepreneur and art collector.
'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.'
In response to Mr Maezawa, one X user called the decision 'nonsense', adding that 'you can't expect it to happen fast'.
Someone else replied: 'You are actually cancelling because you expected the most ambitious human spacecraft in history to fly on time?'
The dearMoon website has also published a statement, calling the project 'unfeasible'.
'Without clear schedule certainty in the near-term, it is with a heavy heart that Maezawa made the unavoidable decision to cancel the project,' it said.
MrMaezawa - who financed the mission - said he made the 'difficult decision' as it is still 'uncertain as to when Starship can launch'
SpaceX's Starship rocket is depicted here during its trip around the moon. When Starship is eventually ready, Elon Musk hopes it will transport people to the moon and Mars
In late 2022, Maezawa revealed the eight artists that were to join him on the flight, including a K-pop star and a London-based fossil fuel critic
MailOnline has contacted SpaceX about what amountMr Maezawa will get refunded.
The civilian mission was due to orbit the moon aboard SpaceX's Starship rocket for about seven days (without landing on it) before returning to Earth.
Mr Maezawa was aiming the moon trip for 2023, a target seen by most space observers as overly optimistic given the slow progress of SpaceX's Spaceship mega-rocket project.
Starship only reached orbit for the first time in March, although it did not achievea successful splashdown in the ocean as planned (fortunately no-one was aboard).
Mr Maezawa said he received applications from more than 1 million people from around the world to join him on the 'space tourism' trip.
Just eight lucky entrants were picked through a 'strict screening and selection process', includinga K-pop star, a US Grammy nominated music producer and a London-based photographer and fossil fuel critic.
Pictured, Rhiannon Adam, one of the eight main crew members who Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa planned to take on a trip around the moon
Yusaku Maezawa, who made his money through the fashion industry, launched plans for the lunar voyage in 2018, buying all the seats on the spaceship. He's pictured here with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk
The dearMoon project even had specially-created spacesuits to be worn by the crew, designed in-house by SpaceX
Rhiannon Adam, originally from Ireland, would've become the first openly queer woman to go to space.
When asked about justifying a trip on a rocket launch booster that burns at two million times the rate of an average car, she said the 'positives outweigh the negatives'.
Also on board would have been Korea's 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-created 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 fashion, launching Japan's largest online fashion mall, Zozotown.
In 2019, he resigned as CEO of the e-commerce company Zozo Incto devote his time to space travel.
Forbes magazine estimates his wealth at $1.9 billion.
Who isYusaku Maezawa?
Yusaku Maezawa is a Japanesebillionaire entrepreneur and art collector.
Born in Chiba prefecture, Japan in 1975 (age 47), he founded the company, Start Today Ltd. (currently, ZOZO, Inc.) in 1998 and launched the online fashion mall 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 in August 2017.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa (pictured), went to the International Space Station (ISS) last year and is now financicing a trip to space aboard Starship
In September 2019, Maezawa stepped down as CEO at the same time as the company released its capital and business alliance with Yahoo Japan Corporation.
Immediately after, he established Start Today Inc., and in 2021, he started thirteen of his own businesses, including his own company's business.
In December 2021, he became the first Japanese civilian to visit the ISS, spending about 12 days on board.
Maezawa launched plans for the civilian lunar voyage aboard SpaceX's Starship in 2018, buying all the seats on the spaceship, but it was cancelled in 2024.
Accompanying him would have been eightartists from around the world, includingSouth Korean K-Pop star TOP, Indian TV actor Dev Joshi and British photographer Rhiannon Adam.
