Yusaku Maezawa Is Addicted To Space, Now Takes 8 Artists Around The Moon With SpaceX

Yusaku takes 8 Artists around the Moon with SpaceX. (photo: twitter)

JAKARTA - A Japanese billionaire who is reported to have paid 80 million US dollars (Rp 1.1 trillion) to spend 12 days on the International Space Station (ISS) urged the world's elite to also visit outer space.

"I want as many people as possible -- and as many people with power and influence as possible -- to visit outer space," Yusaku Maezawa said at a post-flight press conference on Wednesday, December 22, as quoted by Dailymail.

"They will see Earth differently and treat it very differently," he added. Nor does he consider the exorbitant cost of observing planet Earth from space a barrier.

While the exact price for the flight has yet to be confirmed, Maezawa said reports that he had spent $80 million on his trip to space were admittedly accurate, as previously reported by Insider.

Maezawa, 46, also told a news conference that 12 days in the giant orbiting laboratory is not enough time to explore the ISS because it takes time to adapt to the environment.

“The perfect length for this kind of flight is 20 days. I thought 30 would be too much for me," said the Japanese online tycoon who wore a cosmonaut tracksuit and blue hat to the Press Conference.

The billionaire's next dream is to take eight people with him on the 2023 mission to circle the moon, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX spacecraft.

Maezawa, along with assistant Yozo Hirano and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, was launched to the ISS on December 8 and returned to Earth on December 20.

"The most memorable moment was when I saw the International Space Station from Soyuz just before docking and when we entered after docking," Maezawa said shortly after returning to Earth.

He acknowledged that space tourism is now mostly for the super-rich, but added that those embarking on space travel should be prepared for other challenges. "Yes, it's still a bit expensive, but it's not just about money," he told the AP.

"It takes time for your body to adjust to this environment and training for an emergency takes at least a few months," he says.

“So, to be honest, it's only accessible to those who have the time and are physically fit and those who can afford it. But we don't know if it will still apply in 10 years, 20 years from now," he added.

Maezawa made headlines in 2019 when he launched his search for a female companion to accompany him during his voyage around the moon on the SpaceX spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch in 2023.

But his request was not met, so he turned it into a search for eight artists, who asked them to create 'works (that) will inspire the dreamer in all of us.

In March, he announced that he was expanding his search beyond artists, and claimed to have received one million applications for eight spots on a rocket made by Elon Musk's company.

If SpaceX could make the trip, Maezawa and his group of astronauts would be the first lunar explorers since the last US Apollo mission in 1972.