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Yusaku Maezawa

SpaceX confirmed concluding week that it had plans to launch a space tourist to the moon, just the identity of that person would not be revealed until Monday evening. The press conference took place as planned, and CEO Elon Musk stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the aspiring astronaut, Japanese manner tycoon Yusaku Maezawa. It won't be Maezawa alone on the rocket, though. His ticket entitles him to bring some friends along for the ride.

To date, only 24 man beings have left Globe orbit to travel to the moon, and the last one fabricated the journey in 1972 at the end of the Apollo programme. Many of them set up foot on the moon to conduct experiments and collect samples, but Yusaku Maezawa won't be taking a stroll on the surface. SpaceX plans to ship Maezawa on a trip around the moon and back to Earth. Musk says the flight will take nearly a calendar week from start to finish.

Maezawa made his billions every bit the founder of fashion brand Zozo, which creates custom tailored wear. Maezawa says his difficulty finding dress that fit properly as a swain inspired him to launch the venture. Zozo offers customers a polka dotted body suit called the "Zozosuit" to ensure they get the correct fit. The adapt is covered in hundreds of sizing dots, so a few photos of the wearer permit Zozo create custom garments. Zozo has ambitious sales targets exterior of Japan, but Yusaku Maezawa is perchance best known in the w for his record-breaking $110 1000000 purchase of a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Maezawa's interest in art is part of his desire to visit the moon. He announced at the press conference that he would bring along six to eight artists in an effort to promote creative endeavors and globe peace. Maezawa has launched an art projection to get along with the trip called #dearMoon, which already has a website.

SpaceX plans to apply the BFR rocket for this mission, which is nevertheless in the development phase. Musk estimates that rocket will cost $5 billion before it even goes on its offset mission. While he did not reveal the exact cost of Maezawa'south ticket, Musk did say the fee would have a "textile outcome" on the cost of getting BFR upwardly and running.

The mission is tentatively set for 2023, only there are multiple evolution hurdles for BFR to clear first. SpaceX plans to send the rocket on unmanned test flights in advance to test systems. More than details on the BFR and the lunar mission will come as we go closer to launch.

Now read: Boeing and SpaceX Might Non Be Ready for Manned Flights in 2022, SpaceX's BFR Vehicle Is Already Taking Shape, and SpaceX Wasn't Responsible for Loss of Hole-and-corner Zuma Satellite