- Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has been launched to the International Space Station, beginning a 12-day expedition.
- Maezawa made his fortune owning electronic commerce firms, including Zozotown.
- The former rock musician began a contest in 2020 for a suitable mate to accompany him into space, though later called it off.
BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan: Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has been launched on a Russian rocket to the International Space Station, to begin a 12-day visit.
Maezawa made his fortune owning electronic commerce firms, including Zozotown.
The former rock musician began a contest in 2020 for a suitable mate to accompany him into space, though later called it off.
Maezawa boarded a Russian spacecraft at Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome.
This trip is a forerunner to the Japanese billionaire’s much-publicized moon trip in two years.
The spacecraft, with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin also on board, took off on December 8, with Maezawa, as well as Yozo Hirano, his assistant who will be shooting video of the trip, to be broadcast on Maezawa’s YouTube channel.
“(The trip was a) dream come true,” the Japanese entrepreneur stated at a media event before the launch.
“People can have hopes and dreams (by seeing that) a regular person like me can go into such an unknown world,” he added.
On reaching the space station, Maezawa hopes to complete 100 tasks derived from suggestions sent in by the public.
Maezawa, in his video, will offer a glimpse into life aboard the space station. Among his quirkier tasks include golfing, bubble-blowing and even flying a paper airplane.
