LOS ANGELES _ SpaceX said Monday that it will fly two private citizens around the moon in its Crew Dragon spacecraft next year.
The Hawthorne space company said in a statement that the two individuals have "already paid a significant deposit" to do a moon mission. Initial training, along with health and fitness tests will occur later this year, SpaceX said.
"This will be a private mission to a paying customer," said company Chief Executive Elon Musk.
He declined to name the individuals or the exact cost of the mission in a conference call with reporters.
But Musk said the two individuals know each other.
The capsule will launch atop SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, which is set to have its first flight this summer.
This is the first flight to the moon with a crew in more than 45 years.
