Japan billionaire recruiting crew members for rocket trip around the moon
14:59 JST, March 4, 2021
Yusaku Maezawa, the billionaire founder and former chief executive of online fashion retailer Zozo Inc., is recruiting eight crew members from all over the world to travel on a moon rocket developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The 45-year-old entrepreneur announced Wednesday that he is looking for fellow crew members for the voyage scheduled for 2023. If successful, it would be the first lunar travel by people other than professional astronauts
According to the announcement, the eight crew members will travel with Maezawa aboard the large Starship rocket on a weeklong journey in which they will fly around the moon and then return to Earth.
The tycoon will pay all the costs for the voyage.
Pre-registrations are being accepted through March 14 on the official website of the mission, which is titled dearMoon. Applicants will go through initial screenings and online interviews, with the crew members to be chosen in final interviews scheduled for late May.
Maezawa made headlines in 2018 when he bought all the seats aboard the Starship, which the U.S. company was still developing in a bid to lift off in 2023.
“Apply for the mission if you want to use your experience in space to help others or society on Earth, or make a giant step forward in your own creative activities,” Maezawa said.
"Science & Nature" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Gigantic Ichthyosaur’s Fossils Found by British Girl, Father
-
Auroras May be Visible in Hokkaido within Days from Friday Night as Sun is Extremely Active; GPS, Aircraft Communications Disruption Feared
-
JAXA Plans to Develop Demonstration Plant for Tech to Produce Spacecraft Fuel on Moon; Agency to Partner with Government, Private Sector, Academia
-
Fossils of Colossal Snake Vasuki Unearthed in India
-
Japan to Formulate New National Strategy for Green Transformation with Target Year of 2040
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Weakening Yen Adds Complexity to BOJ’s Rate Hike Decisions; Rising Commodity Prices may Impact ‘Virtuous Cycle’ Efforts
- Japanese Seafood Exports to China Sink 57% in FY23; U.S. Becomes Largest Seafood Export Destination
- 70% of Japan Companies to Raise Pay Scales in FY 2024
- 48.6% of Global Patent Applications Related to All-Solid-State Batteries Came from Japanese Firms; Panasonic Tops List
- Minutes Show Policymaker Wants BOJ to Consider Further Rate Hikes Further