# SpaceX to send two tourists around the moon **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 27, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988 "2017-02-27T22:35:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/21 "2017-02-28T12:54:03Z")
Can I leave my phone turned on the entire trip, cause that’s a potential deal breaker if not. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/22 "2017-02-28T13:04:04Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Can I leave my phone turned on the entire trip, cause that’s a potential deal breaker if not. “But Commander, I did specify a _kosher_ meal.” I suspect **Jon Krakauer** is preparing to write a sequel to his **Into Thin Air**. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/23 "2017-02-28T14:49:11Z")
> [@duality72](#): > > I believe he was correcting the reference to Saturn 9 in the quote, not the Falcon. Yeah, I had 9’s on the brain there…was a typo. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/24 "2017-02-28T15:00:53Z")
Why is everyone assuming it will only be the two passengers? The Dragon 2 capsule is configured for 7…it’s what SpaceX is going to use to ferry astronauts and scientist types up to the ISS. They could easily put a pilot (or two) on board for this flight. I haven’t seen anything that states that it will ONLY be the two passengers on the flight (or anything about the crew configuration at all). To me, makes more sense to put a trained astronaut or two in command. [QUOTE=Dr. Strangelove] Where are they saying this? The press release says that Dragon 2 will have several flights for NASA, including crewed flights, before any private missions. The Falcon Heavy will also fly a few times before the moon mission. [/QUOTE] Assuming they are still on for a May 2018 launch and then several (scheduled) crewed launches after that they should have several under their belt before this flight (my WAG though is that this gets pushed into 2019, since the crewed launches that were supposed to happen this year have been pushed into next year). I don’t think the risk is all that much greater. Really, the telling launches are going to be the initial ones getting crews up to the ISS for NASA. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/25 "2017-02-28T21:15:59Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I’m guessing you mean the Saturn 5. But how much difference does the lander make? Most of the payload at launch is probably fuel, either way. It makes a huge difference. The lander was about 1/3 of the Apollo payload that was sent to lunar orbit (service module + command module + lander). If you reduce that final payload by 1/3, you can reduce the 3rd stage fuel by 1/3, which means the 2nd stage has 1/3 less weight to lift, and so on. One thing that I haven’t seen anyone address: Is the Dragon 2 designed to survive reentry from lunar transfer orbit? That’s roughly twice the kinetic energy as reentry from low earth orbit. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/26 "2017-02-28T21:18:37Z")
p.s. This still sounds less risky than the idea of putting astronauts on the first SLS launch - which NASA is currently studying. (Though I suspect the “study” is just a way to explain to Congress or Trump why it shouldn’t be done.) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/27 "2017-02-28T21:41:50Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Why is everyone assuming it will only be the two passengers? The Dragon 2 capsule is configured for 7…it’s what SpaceX is going to use to ferry astronauts and scientist types up to the ISS. Although I suppose the press release doesn’t _strictly_ exclude the possibility of more passengers, they certainly make it sound like this is a two-man voyage. Bit of a difference between a taxi ride to the ISS vs. trip around the moon. There’s no toilet facilities in the 7-passenger version. Gotta pee? That’s what the diaper is for. Not sustainable for 5-6 days. Need more food, CO2 scrubbers, etc. for more people. There’s no need for a pilot or really any local control at all. It’s all controlled from the ground. And there’s really not much to do for the majority of the trip since it’s a free-return trajectory. It comes back on its own. > [@scr4](#): > > One thing that I haven’t seen anyone address: Is the Dragon 2 designed to survive reentry from lunar transfer orbit? That’s roughly twice the kinetic energy as reentry from low earth orbit. Yes, it is. In fact, their PICA-X ablative material is designed to handle reentry from Mars as well. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/28 "2017-05-24T16:07:14Z")
Bumped. NASA has some cool space-tourism posters: [https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/galleries/space-tourism-posters](https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/galleries/space-tourism-posters) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/29 "2017-05-24T17:11:57Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > p.s. This still sounds less risky than the idea of putting astronauts on the first SLS launch - which NASA is currently studying. (Though I suspect the “study” is just a way to explain to Congress or Trump why it shouldn’t be done.) NASA has elected not to due a crewed mission before EM-2 owing to the cost and schedule impacts (not to mention that in the current planning their Abort Test Booster program will not have test the Launch Escape System). It remains unclear exactly what SLS is really going to be used for or how the ongoing expense will be justified in the context of other NASA efforts, but there you go. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > NASA has some cool space-tourism posters: [Space Tourism Posters - NASA Science](https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/galleries/space-tourism-posters) I prefer astronomer [Tyler Nordgren’s WPA style “Planetary Park”](http://www.tylernordgren.com/new-products-1/) posters. And now I see he’s doing exoplanets. I’ve always wanted to do a series of Galactic Park posters, personally. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/30 "2017-05-24T18:34:45Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > “But Commander, I did specify a _kosher_ meal.” > > I suspect **Jon Krakauer** is preparing to write a sequel to his **Into Thin Air**. The working title of the new book is _Into No Air_. I’m with **Stranger** on this one. Seems like a suicide wish for the company. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/31 "2017-05-24T18:41:53Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > …I prefer astronomer [Tyler Nordgren’s WPA style “Planetary Park”](http://www.tylernordgren.com/new-products-1/) posters. And now I see he’s doing exoplanets. I’ve always wanted to do a series of Galactic Park posters, personally. > > Stranger Ooo, thanks. Those are good too. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/32 "2017-05-24T18:45:28Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > It makes a huge difference. The lander was about 1/3 of the Apollo payload that was sent to lunar orbit (service module + command module + lander). If you reduce that final payload by 1/3, you can reduce the 3rd stage fuel by 1/3, which means the 2nd stage has 1/3 less weight to lift, and so on. > > One thing that I haven’t seen anyone address: Is the Dragon 2 designed to survive reentry from lunar transfer orbit? That’s roughly twice the kinetic energy as reentry from low earth orbit. Also there is no need for fuel for lunar insertion orbit, nor lunar escape (nor landing and takeoff), just a flyby and back to earth - that’s a big fuel savings and big weight savings. Also SpaceX is keen on refueling in low earth orbit which the Sat V never had. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/33 "2017-05-24T19:22:21Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Ooo, thanks. Those are good too. He also did a great series for the [National Parks ‘See The Milky Way’ stargazing](http://www.tylernordgren.com/milky-way-posters/) program (Tagline: “Where half the park is after dark!”) and the upcoming [August 2017 North American Total Solar Eclilpse](http://www.tylernordgren.com/2017-great-american-eclipse/). Stranger ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988/34 "2017-05-24T19:30:20Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Bumped. > > NASA has some cool space-tourism posters: [Space Tourism Posters - NASA Science](https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/galleries/space-tourism-posters) Someone cribbed from sci-fi paperbacks. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spacex-to-send-two-tourists-around-the-moon/780988.md?page=1)