A Japanese billionaire named Yusaku Maezawa made his immense fortune founding a fashion retail company named Zozotown. In the year 2019, he resigned and sold a majority stake to SoftBank. Now, he has announced his new project which has caught the attention of many.
Maezawa announced on Tuesday that he will choose 8 applicants to join him on a trip around the moon. The project “10 to 12 people in all” as part of the crew, out of which 8 would be chosen from the general public. “I’m inviting you to join me on this mission,” he said in a video.
As per a report in CNBC, his mission is called ‘dearMoon’ and is scheduled to fly in the year 2023 on SpaceX’s Starship rocket. He added that the people whom he chooses to join him would be flying for free as he “will pay for the entire journey.” Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, said, “This mission we expect people will go further than any human has ever gone from planet Earth.”
The Second Last Kingdom pic.twitter.com/Je4EI88HmV
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2021
The private lunar mission would involve 3 days to fly to the moon, loop behind it in orbit, and spend 3 days on return. “Pre-registration” is open on the official dearMoon website till March 14, 2021. The application requires details like name, profile picture, country, and e-mail address. On March 21, an “initial screening” process will begin and in late May, there would be a “final interview and medical checkup”.
For any person who wishes to apply, there are 2 “key criteria” to be kept in mind. The aspiring astronaut has to mention “whatever activity” they intend to do. Maezawa asks, “By going to space could you do something that’s even better, even bigger?”
Secondly, Maezawa adds that the 8 prospective passengers must “be willing and able to support other crew members who share similar aspirations.”
Would you ever consider applying for something like this? Share your views with us in the comments section below.
Cover Image Source- Left, Right