Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao argues that SpaceX will launch more Starlink satellites, which aim to increase access to high-speed internet, as well as the growing space industry and its experience as an astronaut.
Japanese eccentric billionaire Yusaku Maezawa is looking for eight civilian volunteers to take off to the moon with him on his first private commercial space trip.
The weeklong journey, initially announced in 2018 and called “dearMoon”, is scheduled for 2023 aboard the SpaceX Starship and Elon Musk’s Super Heavy Rocket, formerly known as SpaceX Big Falcon Rocket.
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Although the next generation starship is still undergoing tests, some races ending in violent accidents, Musk assured that it will be ready to board in two years and said he believes the mission “will make a real difference”.
It will take three days to reach the lunar planet. The ship will loop behind it and then begin its three-day journey back home, making it the longest distance any human has ever traveled from Earth.
In a video posted on Tuesday, the Zozo founder explained that the full passenger list will include 10 to 12 crew members. The 45-year-old man will finance the expedition, although it is not yet clear how.
Although Maezawa originally specified that the candidates would be artists, this plan has since “evolved”.
“Every person who is doing something creative can be called an artist … which is why I wanted to reach a wider and more diverse audience,” he said.
Now, the CEO of Start Today Co. has only two requirements: to be able to innovate to help “society at large” in some way and to be willing to support other crew members who “share similar aspirations”.
Each chosen participant will wear a tailored SpaceX suit to provide a pressurized environment for all members and route communication and cooling systems for astronauts during regular flight.
Notably, in January of last year, Maezawa also launched a strange campaign to find a “partner” to accompany him, receiving 27,722 applications from single women over 20 years old.
The selected one would co-star in a reality show about the process on the Japanese streaming service AbemaTV.
However, after criticism, he quickly canceled the search and issued an apology.
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At the moment, pre-registration for the selection process must be done by March 14 at 6:59 pm (Pacific time) and the initial screening will begin a week later. Final interviews and medical examinations are scheduled for the end of May.
Inspiration4, another civilian mission in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, plans to take off on SpaceX’s Dragon – which is already certified for human flight – by the end of the year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.