Tokyo: Eight people have been announced to travel to the Moon next year on a SpaceX spacecraft with Japanese billionaire and entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa.
Although a specific date has not yet been set, SpaceX will send Maezawa, K-pop superstar T.O.P, and American DJ Steve Aoki on a week-long trip to the moon in 2023. This project is called #dearMoon by Maezawa. ,
Even though Dearmoon's crew will not set foot on the Moon, they will orbit it before returning to Earth.
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"I can't miss this opportunity," Aoki said in a video posted by Dearmoon on Thursday. "That's what my soul begs for,"
Yemi A.D., a creative choreographer, photographer Rhiannon Adam, YouTuber Tim Dodd, photographer Karim Illia, director Brendan Hall, and actor Dev D. Joshi are among the other crew members. Olympian snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington of the United States and dancer Miyu of Japan make up the backup group.
According to Nilofer Kamran, assistant professor of engineering, the crew members are YouTubers, DJs, dancers, creative types and photographers, rather than millionaires. "It really makes a difference. They lack both funding and scientific expertise.
Kamran expressed a desire for her students to see Dearmoon as an example of the extraordinary things that well-rounded, imaginative people are capable of. According to Kamran, in 50 years, commercial space will be accessible to anyone, not just millionaires and billionaires.
According to Kamran, everything needs to be commercialized to be useful to the people and we are moving in that direction.
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Maezawa claimed that he chose crew members from a pool of one million candidates. The crew is geographically diverse, with members from the United States, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, and India.
Maezawa claimed in the Dearmoon video that Aoki and he quickly became close friends due to their similar age. He expressed his high regard for Aoki.
Maezawa said, "I hope Aoki shows his leadership and develops into someone the crew can count on.
Dodd, Hall and Farrington are among other Americans. According to Maezawa, Dodd's Everyday Astronaut channel has earned him the title of "the most famous space YouTuber". Maezawa said he looks forward to seeing how Hall portrays each crew member's unique personality on camera.
"I didn't think in a million years that when I got the call for Dearmoon I would be selected for it," Hall said. "I never dreamed I'd be up there; some of the most important parts of my life have been spent trying to capture the night sky."
A member of Big Bang, Top said he feels a great sense of responsibility and pride for being the first Korean to travel to the Moon.
In the Dearmoon video, T.O.P said, "As a Korean artist, I want Moon to give people hope and make anyone who has a dream feel that anything is possible."
Dodd admits that after seeing the explosion of the four Starship prototypes, he is scared to go to the Moon.
"Seven years ago I bought a spacesuit as a joke to take pictures, and now I'm going to fly to the moon," Dodd said in the Dearmoon video.
Even if Dodd is concerned, the ship is extremely safe, according to Kamran, who said that commercial space companies have been making "baby steps" to demonstrate safety for years.
She claimed that the rocket is particularly important because it can be reused, potentially allowing other astronauts to travel to the Moon in the future.
You're going to produce greenhouse gases because it's a long trip, Kamran said. "But it contributes to our development. We should take steps in that direction while also focusing on environmental concerns."
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In a SpaceX press release, Maezawa expressed hope that his chosen crew members will use their experiences to advance humanity.
In 2018, Maezawa told ABC News, "I love the moon." "I enjoy trying new things that have never been done. As a result, I want the challenge to involve the Moon."