Elon Musk reveals first private passenger to go for around-the-moon trip

Days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he would be sending the first private passenger for a trip around the moon, Musk has revealed details about the passenger along with his forthcoming rocket renders.

Few days ago, Musk tweeted that he is sending first ever private passenger for trip around the moon. Musk’s SpaceX announced on Monday the identity of the first passenger to fly around the moon on its new upcoming Big Falcon Rocket (BFR). The person will be Japan’s billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, founder of massive online fashion mall Zozotown.

Musk said that the project called ‘Dear Moon’ to fly around the moon will happen in the year 2023 and will take four to five days in total. The 42-year-old billionaire expressed that he has always wanted to go to the moon ever since he was a child and this mission will mark him as the first non-American to orbit the moon. Also, along with him, Maezawa wants to take artists to the moon too, wrote Mashable.

SpaceX to send world’s first private passenger for around-the-moon trip

“At the same time, I did not want to have such a fantastic experience by myself. I want to share this experience with as many people as possible. I choose to go to the moon with artists,” said Maezawa.

Maezawa will invite six to eight artists ‘that represent Earth’ for accompanying him on his mission. The artists will be asked to ‘see the moon up close and the Earth in full view, and create works that reflect their experience’.

“Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon. Just staring at the moon, it filled my imagination. What if Basquiat had gone to space? What wonderful masterpiece would he have created? What if Picasso had gone to the moon, or Andy Warhol, or Michael Jackson, or John Lennon, or Coco Chanel?,” he said.

The billionaire referred it to as Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’, Van Gogh ‘Starry Night’ and such other art works that have been inspired by ‘our planet’s constant partner’. Though the artists have not been finalized yet, but Maezawa will be reaching out to painters, sculptors, architects, film directors, fashion designers and such.

Though he did not mention how much will he pay for the flight, but Musk stated that it will be a free ride for the accompanying artists.

Video Courtesy: #dearMoon