SpaceX announces first passenger for trip around the Moon
On Monday night, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced the first passenger on a trip around the Moon: Yusaku Maezawa from Japan! He is the founder of the Japanese e-commerce site Zozo, and is a lover of music and art.
The trip will take place aboard SpaceX's Big Falcon Rocket ("BFR") projected to launch in 2023.
Maewaza was inspired to take this trip after looking at a painting by the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and wondered what the artist would have created if he was able to see the Earth from space.
He will board the flight alongside 6 to 8 artists of different mediums that he has invited to join him. Maewaza said his goal is to give back to the world and help spur great art that will inspire humanity and contribute to world peace.
The BFR is primarily a mission to help humans travel to and settle on Mars, part of Musk’s dream of our society becoming a multiplanet species. The 387-foot rocket is able to hold about 100 people, but due to how new this type of mission is, this trip will carry only a few passengers to allow for extra water, fuel, and spare parts as a precaution.
This mission is so unique because while humans have been to the Moon and on the International Space Station for years, no humans have been outside low Earth orbit since 1972. But come 2023, BFR may carry a group of painters, musicians, film directors, architects, fashion designers, and more to get a close-up view as the spacecraft loops around the Moon, and a far-away view of our own home planet Earth to inspire the creation of beautiful art.
So, which artists do you think should join Maewaza on the trip? Send us a message on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and let us know!
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