Yusaku Maezawa, a 42-year-old fashion designer and art collector, has been revealed to be SpaceX’s first passenger to fly around the moon on the BFR rocket. The mission is planned for 2023, and will represent the first trip, for a human, to the Moon since 1972. While it’s an exciting development, Elon Musk, SpaceX’s CEO, did caution that “It’s not 100% certain we can bring this to flight.”
Maezawa has said that he would be inviting between six and eight artists from around the world to join him on the trip around the Moon, on one condition; that they create something after they return to Earth that will “inspire the dreamer within all of us.”
Following the announcement of the astronaut, SpaceX launched the #dearMoon website which contains information about the project, including a project schedule. Currently, the schedule tells us that member selection has begun and should be finalised by 2020 or 2021, after which training will commence. The launch is slated for 2023 and when said members return, the schedule says they will create and publicise their work. Unfortunately it doesn’t go into any more detail. Once participants have been selected, they will be announced on the #dearMoon social media pages.
In a statement, Maezawa said:
“I hope that this project will inspire the dreamer within each of us. Together with Earth"s top artists, I will be heading to the moon... just a little earlier than everyone else. I am truly blessed by this opportunity to become Host Curator of "#dearMoon". I would like to thank Elon Musk and SpaceX for creating the opportunity to go around the moon in their BFR. I would also like to thank all those who have continuously supported me. I vouch to make this project a success. Stay tuned!”
SpaceX has published the full announcement on its YouTube channel, where Musk discusses the BFR rocket and stated that any customers for the rocket would be helpful for the development of the project. Musk also sat with Maezawa and discussed the mission to the Moon.
Via BBC News