SpaceX has announced that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has purchased a ticket to travel to the moon in its Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), making him the first to do so as a private customer.
The price of this undoubtedly insanely expensive ticket was not revealed, but SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hinted on Monday, 17 September that it is a “material percentage” of the projected USD 5 billion that the trip and rocket will cost. (To think that you were only a giant, giant wallet away from becoming the first moon tourist!) The lunar flyby is currently scheduled for 2023.
Yusaku is a 42-year-old art collector, musician, fashion designer and entrepreneur, who will sponsor six to eight artists to go to the moon with him, after which they will create works of art inspired by their experience.
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Yusaku and his friends will be the first people to visit our planet’s natural satellite since the last Apollo mission in 1972 – to date, only 24 people have ever done a moon-landing or flyby. He hasn’t said who is on his flight manifest, but intends to have them represent as many fields of art as possible. They could be film directors, painters, musicians, novelists, photographers and even architects, according to a video published under Yusaku’s project, #dearMoon.
The Japanese billionaire is also the founder of clothing brand Zozo, which specialises in custom-fit clothes that you can order by capturing a 3D measurement of yourself at home. We’re guessing he’ll come up with exclusive designs for his BFR trip, and have every song inspired by the moon (Clair de Lune, Moonlight Sonata, Mr Moonlight, and Fly Me To The Moon for sure) on the in-flight playlist.
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