SpaceX will fly a Japanese billionaire around the moon for art

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has announced the first private space tourist to venture to the Moon’s orbit will be Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa.

Maezawa, founder of Japanese fashion firm Zozo and art aficionado, will hand pick “a painter, musician, film director, fashion designer…” and some of the “Earth’s greatest talents” to join him on the mission.

“During the week-long spaceflight, what will they see? What will they feel? What will they create,” quips a totally cringe line on the mission’s web page.

Looks like that BA degree might come in handy after all.

Although the party won’t land on the Moon’s surface, it will still cost SpaceX’s close to US$5-billion to ready the BFR, or Big Fucking Rocket, the reusable rocket ship the crew will pilot.

Bringing a billionaire on board makes absolute financial sense.

Musk too, who’s facing a lawsuit from the Thai rescue diver he recently called a “pedo”, hasn’t totally ruled out joining Maezawa and his gaggle of merry artists.

It’s set to be the first time human beings have breached Earth orbit since 1972.

Feature image: SpaceX