Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawais wants the public to suggest up to 100 ‘silly’ activities for him to try when he journeys into space later this year.
The eccentric fashion tycoon paid $40 million (£28 million) for himself and a film producer to travel to the International Space Station on Russian Soyuz spacecraft in December.
Maezawa has asked people to suggest things he can do while he is floating about in the low gravity environment of the ISS, saying ‘the sillier the better’.
‘I want this experience to be for everyone, not just me, and so I came up with this plan. What should I do in space? What should I bring to space?’ Maezawa wrote.
One of the ideas he gave as example activity he could do while on the ISS was whether you move forward if you fart while in a low gravity environment.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawais wants the public to suggest up to 100 ‘silly’ activities for him to try when he journeys into space later this year
The eccentric fashion tycoon paid $40 million for himself and a film producer to travel to the International Space Station on Russian Soyuz spacecraft in December
Maezawa made headlines in 2019 when he launched a search for a female companion to accompany him during a trip around the moon on a SpaceX spacecraft, scheduled to launch in 2023.
But the 45-year-old’s request was unmet and so he changed it to a search for eight friends to journey with him around the moon – and 300,000 have already applied.
In the meantime he booked a flight with Russian space agency Roscosmos to take him up to the ISS for a 12 day visit – and wants the public to participate.
The billionaire said it doesn’t matter whether the ideas are ‘silly or serious’, he just wanted to give people the chance to participate in his space tourism journey.
Maezawa says he plans to film each of the activities he undertakes during his 12-day trip for his YouTube channel and upload them while in orbit.
‘Do you move forward when you fart in space? What happens when you play Pokemon GO in space? Call someone on Earth from space!’ Maezawa said.
He will be constrained by the types of items he can take with him due to limited storage on the Soyuz spacecraft and restrictions on types of materials.
The flight is being operated by US space tourism company Space Adventures, who will decide on any equipment he takes with him.
Yusaku Maezawa, 45, an online fashion tycoon, made headlines in 2019 when he launched a search for a female companion to accompany him during the lunar mission – but the request was unmet and he is now looking to bring eight friends instead
If a unique idea is submitted and Maezawa selects it to complete, he will award that person a personalised mission patch with the Soyuz spacecraft set against a peace symbol overlaying the Earth.
‘You will receive a mission patch with your name embroidered on it, identical to what I’ll be wearing!’ Maezawa said.
He will launch for space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on December 8 alongside production assistant Yozo Hirano and Russian Cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin who will fly the Soyuz capsule.
Maezawa has asked people to suggest things he can do while he is floating about in the low gravity environment of the ISS, saying ‘the sillier the better’
‘I’m so curious “what’s life like in space”? So, I am planning to find out on my own and share with the world on my YouTube channel,’ said Maezawa.
‘I thought that if I want to guide my fellow “dearMoon” crew members during our lunar trip scheduled for 2023, why not fly to space and experience it first?’
In total, seven self-funded individuals have visited the space station and Maezawa plans to be the 8th and the first from Japan.
‘We are excited for Maezawa-san, and we are honored to have enabled this opportunity for him to fly to space,’ Space Adventures chairman and CEO Eric Anderson said in the same statement. ‘Welcome to space, Yusaku!’
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