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Aerospace engineer and financial analyst Dennis Tito, who paid $20 million to visit Russia’s space station in 2001, will now be the first private astronaut to fly to the moon with his wife, Akiko Tito.
While appearing on CBS Mornings, Dennis, 82, mentioned that he and his wife wish to board Elon Musk’s spaceship to enjoy a new adventure. The duo plans to inspire senior citizens who think their horizons are now limited and want to take the initiative of stepping out into the solar system. Stating that he has been planning the trip for around 20 years, Tito said,
"And here we were at SpaceX (recently) and they were interested in talking about a space flight. And I brought it up. And within a few minutes, we both were on board."
In another interview at Space X’s Starship development complex, he said that he wishes to go on the trip in the next five years with 10 more people. He added,
"We will be able to watch the Earth get smaller, smaller and smaller, and the moon get larger, and larger and larger. We will then, upon emerging from the far side of the moon, see the Earth from a perspective only the Apollo astronauts have enjoyed to date."
The missions might take some time to begin. Dennis Tito has not revealed anything about the amount he would pay for two seats. The pair are preparing for the journey by maintaining their physical fitness and monitoring their health.
Dennis Tito's net worth explored
Dennis Tito gained recognition as the first space tourist to pay for his trip to space in 2001 and spent around eight days in orbit as a crew member of ISS EP-1. The mission was started by the spacecraft Soyuz TM-32 and landed by Soyuz TM-31.
According to CelebrityNetWorth, the 82-year-old’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 billion. Although detailed information on his assets is not available, he earned a lot from his career as an engineer and entrepreneur.
Dennis Tito established Wilshire Associates in 1972, a leading provider of investment management, consulting, and technology services in Santa Monica, California. He even represents assets worth $71 billion as an international clientele.
He joined the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners in 1990 and led them in supporting the landmark 1994 state ruling to protect Mono Lake from excessive water diversions by the city. He was later chosen as a candidate for commercial spaceflight by the Russian Federal Space Agency.
Dennis soon announced his plans to send a private spaceflight to Mars by 2018. He stated that the technology is already available, and the only problem is resolving the need for the rigor of a trip for 501 days on a psychological and physical level for the human crew.
Dennis Tito and other Mars Inspiration team revealed in November 2013 that they could not execute their plan without the help and funding from NASA.
