Slashdot Mirror
SpaceX Will Send Japanese Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa Around the Moon (theverge.com)
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed on Monday the identity of the passenger signed to visit the moon, set to launch on the company's Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) vehicle: Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. Mr. Maezawa, 42, is the founder of Japan's Start Today, which operates largest online clothing retailer site in the country Zozotown and Wear. The Verge adds: Maezawa, who is 42, reportedly has a real time net worth of $2.9 billion, according to Forbes. He is also an avid art collector, and spent $110.5 million on a 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat called "Untitled" last year. "Finally, I can tell you that I choose to go to the Moon!" Maezawa said at a SpaceX event, announcing his trip. This isn't the first time that SpaceX has announced it plans to send a paying customer to the Moon on one of its vehicles. In February 2017, Musk proclaimed that two individuals had each put down a "significant deposit" to fly around the Moon on SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, a larger version of the Falcon 9. No details about the passengers were given, though Musk said it was "nobody from Hollywood." The flight was slated to occur before the end of this year. "Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the moon," Maezawa said in a website that his team and SpaceX created for this expedition. "This is a project that I designed and made: #dearMoon," He added, noting that it will be launched in 2023. "I choose to go to the moon with artists. In 2023, as the host, I would like to invite 6 to 8 artists from around the world to join me on this mission to the Moon." He said going to the moon can contribute to "world peace."
Mr. Musk said SpaceX's first orbital flight could be in 2-3 years, and then it would test flights without a passenger around the moon. He added, however, that as far as the proposed 2023 deadline is concerned to get the first paying passenger on the moon, he is "definitely not sure about it," as there could be some delays because of the uncertainties and complexities.
Mr. Musk said SpaceX's first orbital flight could be in 2-3 years, and then it would test flights without a passenger around the moon. He added, however, that as far as the proposed 2023 deadline is concerned to get the first paying passenger on the moon, he is "definitely not sure about it," as there could be some delays because of the uncertainties and complexities.
Given his head is already in outer space, I suppose it's only fitting he takes the rest of his body up there too.
Life is not for the lazy.
Sure. We believe you Elon. Just like the $35,000 EV. Any time now.
Seems like he has a 50 50 chance of survival.
I am happy and excited about being a multi-planet society. The earth is not big enough.
Its good to see positive people talk about a positive future and give people hope and something to look forward to.
I am glad that a civilian will step up and take his money and put it into something that will help people and the future!
Hard problems can only be solved through hard work and thinking outside the box.
I hope this flight goes off without a hitch. My hat's off to Maezawa, Musk, and everyone involved in the project.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
and do the other things, because they are easy, but because they are expensive.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Is Maezawa paying for them too, or do they have to buy their own ticket?
...from Musk's legal woes. Well played!
series of internal I ever did. It 0ser. 'Now that (7000+1400+700)*4
Bernie Sanders pointed this out, but while Bezo's employees make so little my tax dollars go to buy them enough food to live he's spending money on space tourism. I'm not saying space exploration isn't important, but these guys aren't adding much if any new tech. They're just using what was already there (and paid for by my tax dollars, yet again).
If we could afford to send these guys to space _and_ pay their employees a living wage I wouldn't be complaining, but it seems like they're riding to space on the backs of the working poor...
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
https://m.slashdot.org/thread/... Called it. C'mon, Elon. At least make it hard to guess, bakka! ^_^
On care anyone is curious what a $110 million painting looks like:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/0...
That's one of the most expensive paintings ever auctioned. The artist died of a drug overdose at the age of 27.
His first choice was to move to the Sun - but the rent's there are just too high.
#DeleteChrome
I predict this will be the first of Many Babies make in space on the maiden voyage.
Well of course he's not sure about landing someone on the Moon, this isn't about that.
The planned flight, if you'd looked at the website or video at all, is to do a fly-by of the moon.
...
Musk said it was "nobody from Hollywood".
That doesn't narrow the field very much. Almost every actor counts as "nobody from Hollywood."
politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
"I hope this flight goes off without a hitch."
What flight? 2024 is the absolute soonest. If it ever happens at all, and I would say odds favor it not happening over happening.
Maybe the several times delayed James Webb Space Telescope will be up by then. The JWST was supposed to launch October 2018, now scheduled for 2021.
That's your coffin, buddy.
Sending someone around the Moon is relatively difficult, mainly when that person has no special training. But the difficulty associated with making the next logical step (landing on its surface) is orders of magnitude higher. The 2023 deadline seems way too optimistic.
Custom Solvers 2.0 = Alvaro Carballo Garcia = varocarbas.
Man successfully enters orbit of the Moon!
there is no guarantee you will see any trip to the moon. That billion dollars will just keep Tesla afloat and the numbers better for a while.
Be VERY careful about investing in American businesses and ventures.
A child living in an adult's body. Just think of the suffering he could have prevented if he had used that money to help others (especially animals), rather than buying a piece of degenerate 'art'.
"In February 2017, Musk proclaimed that two individuals had each put down a "significant deposit" to fly around the Moon on SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket,"
Elon confirmed in the Q&A that the 2 individuals were Yusaku Maezawa and someone else he was going to bring, and then spoke about how the Crew Dragon would really only hold 2 people comfortably for this trip (as it's about the same size inside as an SUV), and that by using BFS, more people are able to go. Musk mentioned maybe a dozen, whereas Yusaku had earlier mentioned about 6-8. So likely the other person was to be an artist, but with BFR and BFS he can take several artists.
I am not a conspiracy theorist but it has always surprised me that we did all that space stuff in the 60s and 70s with very low tech and had remarkably few disasters but come the 21st century everything seems to be a big problem now, surely it should all be a lot easier.
Can see right now that Musk gives the impression that it will be a very high risk trip. I think this is the right approach to have right now to ensure the rocket is built properly. More confidence will be gained after the test flights. Seems Yusaku is also about the right age for this.. not too young and not too old. I'm sure anyone who travels with him will have a lot to gain from the trip.
My friend, your epiphany is getting closer.
Supposedly we went to the moon in the 60's. Now it's 2018 and we've never been back... But we might be ready to go in another 5 years. WTF?
hey, killing billionaires in space is the kind of art project I can wholeheartedly support!
Although that may limit repeat rocket sales.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
...I genuinely hope they're successful and everyone comes back alive.
-Styopa
The early astronauts, pretty much to a man, experienced a profound shift in their world views when they were able to behold the view of Earth from afar. They truly realized how fragile and isolated our world is. These were not guys predisposed to such touchy-feeliness, and yet they were still deeply affected.
If more CEOs and billionaires experienced the same view firsthand, perhaps they might give pause, reexamine their ways, and give more thought to long term consequences rather than short term profits.
I think Musk is cheap, because his rockets always run out of fuel at the end. And when that happens, things go kablooey.
I've heard Musk say this before, but he also repeated it in last night's announcement. One of the biggest benefits of this mission, and of SpaceX in general, is it gives everyone something to be hopeful about. There is plenty in this world to be down about as evidenced by all of the complaints filed around here. At the end of the day, who doesn't want to see people visiting the Moon!
I want to see it. I want to follow the updates and be excited about them. I want my son to be excited about it - maybe it will even be one of those events where he will forever remember where he was when the dearMoon BFR lifted off. Maybe he will tell his children about it.
There is still plenty to complain about, but I for one, am happy to sit back and say this is awesome!
-It writes, rates, creates, even telecommunicates. Costs less, does more the Commodore 64. Compute's Gazette
I bet the USA will be begging to place one person on that flight.
They may have been the first to the moon, but they lack the vision and commitment that everybody else has.
[Boom]
"Well I'm pretty sure that wasn't supposed to happen. Let me get on TwitBook real quick." -- Elon Musk 2023
Perhaps by the time SpaceX gets there, they can take Mr Maezawa's ashes!
Self-importance and self-indulgence is the root of ALL evil.