SpaceX's first Moon tourist is Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. And he's bringing 8 artists with him

Japanese billionaire and art curator Yusaku Maezawa will be the first private passenger to the moon aboard the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), revealed Elon Musk's space transportation company SpaceX in a tweet on Tuesday.

The first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard BFR is fashion innovator and globally recognized art curator Yusaku Maezawa.

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 18, 2018

“The first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard BFR is fashion innovator and globally recognized art curator Yusaku Maezawa,” tweeted the space firm.

Maezawa will invite eight artists who represent Earth in his journey to the moon, scheduled in 2023.

Making the announcement in a series of Tweets, the 42-year-old entrepreneur – owner of Japan's largest online fashion retail website Zozotown -- shared a Youtube video.

“I choose to go to the moon, with Artists,” he said.

I choose to go to the moon, with Artists. #dearMoon https://t.co/ivMypEcWBZ — Yusaku Maezawa 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) September 18, 2018

“What will they see? What will they feel? And what will they create? #dearMoon,” said the voice over in the video.

The space journey will last for 6 days and come as close as 125 miles to the Moon’s surface.

This is BFR from @spacex #dearMoon pic.twitter.com/jZiu1RHqUN — Yusaku Maezawa 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) September 18, 2018

Later, Musk tweeted:

Yusaku will be bringing 8 (brave) artists & cultural figures with him on the journey around the moon! https://t.co/PCU23HYTa9

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 18, 2018

 

Only 24 human beings have visited Moon till date, last being the Apollo mission in 1972. “SpaceX’s next generation vehicle—BFR—will be the most powerful rocket in history, capable of carrying humans to the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” tweeted the space transportation firm.

Till date, SpaceX has completed over 60 launches and has the world’s only reusable orbital class rockets and spacecraft—capable of launching to space, returning to Earth, and flying again.

Lasting about a week, the journey will come as close as 125 miles to the Moon’s surface before completing lunar transit and returning back to Earth. pic.twitter.com/1P4HSHxaNU — SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 18, 2018

Speaking at the event, Maezawa said, “What if Picasso had gone to the Moon? Or Andy Warhol or Michael Jackson or John Lennon?”

The overall development cost for moon trip aboard BFR will be roughly $5 billion, said Musk.

Maezawa has already made a down payment, which is significant enough to have a material effect on for cost and development of BFR, added the internet entrepreneur and Tesla electric car CEO Elon Musk. According to Forbes, Maezawa is the 18th richest man in Japan with a fortune of $2.9 billion.