Need a break from life on earth? Join Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa on a flight around the moon on Elon Musk’s spaceship.
Billionaire fashion tycoon Yusaka Maezawa made headlines in 2018 by being the first person to book a spot on the spaceship Elon Musk’s SpaceX is developing for lunar travel. He had then planned to take a group of artists with him aboard the space trip, but has now opened applications for any eight people from around the world.
“It will take three days to get to the moon, loop behind it, and three days to get back,” he said in a video on Tuesday. “I will pay for the entire journey.”
The mission, called dearMoon, is scheduled for 2023 on a SpaceX Starship. Elon Musk claims the space ship will be ready for the round trip around the moon in two years, but the first two test flights ended in crashes.
The flight will comprise up to 12 people, including eight civilian volunteers.
Maezawa’s decision to invite a wider range of people occured due to a change in his understanding of artists.
“Every single person who is doing something creative could be called an artist. That is why I wanted to reach out to a wider, more diverse audience,” said the billionaire entrepreneur, who is also an art collector.
The aspiring crew members of the spaceship must fulfill two main criteria: a willingness to “push the envelope,” and a willingness to support others, including crew members, in their aspirations.
In a message shared on his Twitter, the billionaire invited people to apply for the historic trip.
“Get your FREE TICKET to the MOON!!” he wrote. “8 crew members wanted. Sign up today!”
