Yusaku Maezawa just unveiled the eight people who will be flying with him around the Moon in SpaceX's dearMoon mission.
According to Bloomberg, the unorthodox crew consisted of a group of artists, athletes, and entertainers reportedly include DJ Steve Aoki and KPop star T.O.P. from Big Bang.
The Full Crew For SpaceX's Private Mission Has Been Announced
The Japanese fashion mogul picked eight passengers to join him around the moon as SpaceX sponsors the dearMoon mission about the yet-to-be-flown Starship spacecraft.
The mission was originally announced in 2018, and initially aimed to take a group of artists on a trip around the Moon for six days.
However, Maezawa later on expanded the definition of artist to anyone from all walks of life who view themselves as artists.
It can be remembered that he also said that he would go on a dating show to find a life partner to take to the Moon, but did not push through with the idea.
CNN World reports that there were mainly two criteria for selecting the dearMoon passengers, which are their ability to "push the envelope," and their ability to help the community in some way.
Aside from Aoki and T.O.P., joining the billionaire on board is "Everyday Astronaut" creator Tim Dodd, Czech artist Yemi A.D., photographers Rhiannon Adam and Karim Illya, Indian actor Dev Joshl, and filmmaker Brendan Hall.
A backup crew for the flight, meanwhile, will be joined by US Olympic snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington and Japanese dancer Miyu.
However, Space writes that as much as the crew sounds a bit of fun, Maezawa reminds everyone that they are there for a mission.
"I hope each and every one will recognize the responsibility that comes with leaving the Earth, traveling to the moon and back," he says in a translated video announcement.
This first civilian mission to around the Moon is expected to launch in 2023, through the help of Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket.
Read More: 7 Things to Know About SpaceX's Starship
Everything About The Private Mission Is Still A Work In Progress
Maezawa has already made his first journey to space since the dearMoon mission has been announce, but the SpaceX Starship rocket remains in development,
Reports say that a few other prototypes have been subjected to brief tests, but the Super Heavy rocket booster needed to propel the spacecraft has not been tested.
However, CEO Musk believes that the company will be prepared for more in-depth testing soon, although SpaceX is still waiting on a launch license from federal regulators.
Because of this, he also said that the launch will happen in 2023, but the previously-announced 2023 launch date has been pushed back, according to Space.
According to CNN World, should the test flight of Starship be successful and set dearMoon off the ground, Maezawa and his band of artists will be the first crew of private citizens to reach low-Earth orbit.
The six-day mission the fashion mogul is taking with the artists is expected to last three days to reach its destination.
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