"Two private citizens" have paid a "significant deposit" to SpaceX for a trip around the Moon in late 2018, the company announced Monday. The customers' identities, amount of the deposit and the total amount SpaceX is being paid for the journey are so far undisclosed. If successful, SpaceX would be the first private company to send a crewed spacecraft on such a journey. There are a few other hurdles for SpaceX to overcome if it wants to launch this mission next year. Additionally, the company will have to obtain regulatory permission for a flight to the Moon -- something that only one private company, Moon Express, has done to date.

Source: Forbes February 27, 2017 22:49 UTC