On September 17, 2018, SpaceX executive director Ilon Musk finally revealed the identity of the mysterious first space tourist. Now it is known that in 2023 a Japanese billionaire and a group of artists will go to the moon. They will be the first private citizens to break out of Earth orbit.
Yusaku Maesawa (founder of the Japanese e-commerce giant ZoZo) signed a moonflight contract aboard the SpaceX BFR rocket. This mission includes circling around the moon, but not landing. Mask said that she would have time to prepare for 5 years. Maesawa said: “I have adored the Moon since childhood. Already, mere observation fed my imagination and inspired action. Therefore, I will not miss the opportunity to admire her close. ”
But Maesawa will not go alone. He said that he would take with him 6-8 artists, sculptors, designers or architects to share the impression with them and pass it on to all mankind. He also launched https://dearmoon.earth/ to inspire the next generation.
The artistic vision of the Big Falcon Rocket of the SpaceX rocket launched into space. On board will be a Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maesawa Maesawa also invited Musk with him on a trip, to which he replied: "Perhaps we will test this flight together." None of them agreed to give the price of the flight, but it is known that Maesawa had already paid the advance and bought the entire flight (that is, the artists will fly for free). Musk stressed that the mission does not exclude danger, so he thanked Maesawa for courage.
SpaceX will launch Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maesawa on the first private passenger flight around the moon aboard the BFR rocket. Together with him will fly up to 8 artists
Now SpaceX is developing BFR, the main goal of which is to deliver people to Mars and to other worlds of our system. Musk repeated many times that his company was created to spread human colonization throughout the solar system. As a result, the cost of BFR should reach about $ 5 billion. Musk thanked Maesave for providing the key part of the financing in this project.
The SpaceX CEO also presented updated BFR design data. Now the height will increase to 118 m (previously - 106 m). The new ship will include three rear “controlled fins,” which serve as landing sites. Two more fins are located near the nose.
Here is the company's plan for the first private flight around the moon using the BFR. The trip will take about a week The BFR spacecraft can accommodate about 100 people, but a trip to the Moon will only have a basic crew with additional fuel, food, water and spare parts if something goes wrong.
The exact launch date has not yet been established, but 2023 serves as a guideline. The following year, the company aims to perform short tests and high-altitude high-speed flights in 2020. If everything goes well, the first flight to the lunar orbit will come true in 2-3 years.
This is not the first experience of Maesawa in reserving a lunar flight from SpaceX. Previously, he ordered a near-moon flight using the DragonX capsule and Falcon Heavy rocket, which should have been launched at the end of 2018. It is important to note that since 1972 no one flew to the moon.
NASA also aims to launch astronauts around the moon at the same time as SpaceX. Mission appointed for 2023 with Orion capsule and Space Launch System rocket. This mission should last 3 weeks.
