SpaceX announced a new manned mission that will venture beyond the moon with the new Crew Dragon capsule. This mission will also be sending two tourists that are not astronauts into space by 2018.

For the first time in 45 years, this event will mark the return of human explorers into deep space. This mission will go faster and further than anyone has ever been. SpaceX has slated this mission for the end of 2018. The private space company will accomplish this after it launches its manned Crew Dragon 2 spacecraft to the International Space Station this year.

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"We were approached by some private individuals, making this a private space mission with paying customers. Musk also hinted how these potential first space tourists have already made significant monetary deposits where SpaceX is also not authorized to reveal their identities," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said.

Musk explained that private space travel with a crewed mission could become a significant revenue driver. He added that there is an existing market of at least two of these manned missions every year and this funding can contribute to 10 to 20 percent of revenues for the private space company. However, Musk says that NASA will always be the priority when NASA decides to launch the first mission of this nature with their astronauts.

In this mission, one of SpaceX's Dragon 2 capsules will be adjusted with electronics for deep space communications. It will be perched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket that will be launched for the first time this year.

Musk also revealed how much this private space tourist mission will cost and says that it is estimated to be as much as sending a crewed mission to the International Space Station. He also revealed crucial details like the mission's destination, as it will go around a spherical orbit around the moon and back to Earth that can take one week long in deep space. The Dragon 2 spacecraft carrying these two space tourists will travel for around 400,000 miles.

Since these space tourists are not trained astronauts, the Dragon 2 will fly autonomously during the entire duration of the flight. However, the passengers will also be expertly trained in emergency procedures. 

The new Dragon 2 is specifically designed to carry humans, while the current SpaceX Dragon cargo supply missions are meant for bringing only supplies and equipment to the space station. During the end of 2017, two unmanned Dragon 2 capsules will fly to the space station, and a manned Dragon 2 mission will arrive at the ISS during spring 2018.