On May 22, SpaceX announced that Fram2 mission commander Chun Wang will take part in Starship’s first crewed interplanetary flight mission. The mission, which will last about two years, will explore space beyond the Earth-Moon system, fly past Mars, and return to Earth. Before the interplanetary mission, Chun Wang will carry out Starship’s first commercial lunar-orbit mission with California engineer and investor Dennis Tito and his wife.
Commercial lunar-orbit mission: planned to fly within 200 kilometers of the Moon’s surface
SpaceX said the planned first commercial lunar-orbit mission on Starship will last about a week, aiming to fly within 200 kilometers of the Moon’s surface and advance Starship systems for deep-space and long-duration missions. Crew members are Chun Wang, 85-year-old Dennis Tito, and Akiko Tito. Dennis Tito traveled to the International Space Station by Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 2001 for a six-day stay, becoming the first American space tourist to enter space. In an interview, Chun Wang said: “Although it’s just a flyby, it will try many things that have never been tried before.” Starship is still in the testing stage and has not yet completed orbital flight around Earth.
Interplanetary Mars flyby mission: two-year round trip, schedule not disclosed
SpaceX announced that the planned Starship’s first crewed interplanetary flight mission that Chun Wang will participate in will explore space beyond the Earth-Moon system before flying past Mars, then return to Earth, with a round-trip time of about two years. The mission’s specific launch date has not been announced. In an interview, Chun Wang said: “This will be a Mars flyby mission. Many people are talking about the future of Mars exploration, but let’s start with a flyby… it will ignite passion, stimulate imagination, and build up strength.”
Chun Wang’s background: Fram2 commander and cryptocurrency entrepreneur
Chun Wang was born in China in 1982 and became a Maltese citizen in 2023. His estimated net worth as of last year is about $300 million. He is a co-founder of F2Pool (a cryptocurrency mining pool) and Stakefish (a staking service). Last year, he led the privately funded Fram2 mission, taking a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and three other astronauts into a polar orbit around Earth, staying for about 3.5 days. Since May 2020, SpaceX has safely delivered 78 astronauts from 20 countries to complete 20 missions, including seven commercial and private missions.
Frequently asked questions
What stage are Starship’s lunar-orbit and Mars missions in right now?
Both missions have announced crew members, but neither has disclosed specific launch dates. Starship is still in the testing stage and has not yet completed orbital flight around Earth. SpaceX’s announcement did not explain any expected timeline for completing preparations for either mission.
Why is Dennis Tito getting attention, and how is the moon-orbit plan he announced earlier progressing?
Dennis Tito is 85 years old and was the first American space tourist to enter space in 2001. He announced a plan to orbit the Moon in 2022, but there has been little news of progress since then. This SpaceX announcement confirms that he will carry out a Starship lunar-orbit mission together with Chun Wang, marking the first specific confirmation of his plan.
What was Chun Wang’s prior spaceflight experience?
Last year, Chun Wang led the Fram2 private space mission, taking a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and three other astronauts into a polar orbit around Earth, staying for about 3.5 days—his first spaceflight. Fram2 was a privately funded mission.
