A Japanese space tourist on Monday rejected criticism from those who
questioned his decision to pay a fortune for a trip to the International
Space Station, saying the “amazing” experience was worth it.
Speaking to The Associated Press in a live interview from the orbiting space
outpost, billionaire fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa said even though he had
imagined what his mission would be like before the flight, he was struck by
the reality of space travel.
“Once you are in space, you realize how much it is worth it by having this
amazing experience,” he told the AP in the first TV interview since he
arrived at the station. "And I believe that this amazing experience will
lead to something else.”
Maezawa, 46, and his 36-year-old producer Yozo Hirano are the first
self-paying tourists to visit the space station since 2009. Asked about
reports claiming that he paid over $80 million for a 12-day mission, Maezawa
said he couldn’t disclose the contract sum but admitted that he paid “pretty
much” that amount.
In October, Russian actor Yulia Peresild and film director Klim Shipenko
spent 12 days on the station to make the world’s first movie in orbit, a
project sponsored by Russia's space corporation Roscosmos to help burnish
the nation’s space glory.
Maezawa deflected the criticism from those who questioned his decision to
spend money on his space travel instead of using it to help people back on
Earth, saying that “those who criticize are perhaps those who have never
been to space."
“The most memorable moments were when I saw the International Space Station
from Soyuz just before the docking and when we entered after the docking,”
he said.
He admitted that space tourism is mostly for the super-rich now, but added
that those who embark on space travel must be prepared for other challenges.
“Yes, it is still rather expensive, but it is not only about money," he told
the AP. "It takes time for your body to adjust in this environment and the
training for emergencies takes at least a few months. So, honestly speaking,
it is only accessible for those who have time and are physically fit and
those who can afford it. But we don’t know if that is still going to be the
case in 10 years, 20 years’ time.”
Maezawa told the AP he felt “a little bit of motion sickness” and it was “a
little bit difficult to sleep,” adding that future space tourists need to be
aware of the need to spend up to five days to adapt to motion sickness in
space.
He acknowledged that taking a nap still presents a challenge.
“I am not sleeping well, to be honest. A sleeping bag has been provided but
it is too hot so I am not using it,” he said.
He was happy with the length of his trip.
“Twelve days was about right for me,” Maezawa added. “I am getting over the
motion sickness so I can enjoy the remaining days. I am returning on the
20th and starting to miss Japan. Once I return, I want to have sushi!”
Maezawa and Hirano, who was filming his mission, blasted off for the
International Space Station on Wednesday in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft along
with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.
Space Adventures, a Virginia-based company that organized his flight, had
previously sent seven other tourists to the space station in 2001-2009.
Maezawa expressed his profound admiration for the space station's crew. In
addition to Misurkin, they include NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas
Marshburn, Kayla Barron and Mark Vande Hei; Russian cosmonauts Anton
Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov; and Matthias Maurer of the European Space
Agency.
“They are like super-heroes who save Earth,” he said. “Not only that they
are ahead of the latest science, but trained physically and mentally, and
very brave. I can feel directly how human can develop this far, and our
lives depend on these people – how it changes in the future. I respect them
a lot.”
He and Hirano will be returning to Earth with Misurkin on Sunday.
Before the flight, Maezawa had compiled a list of 100 things to do in space
during his mission after asking the public for ideas.
“I am looking forward to doing some sports inside the space station –
badminton, table tennis and golf," he told the AP. "What I am not looking
forward to that much is toilet-related stuff. ”
Maezawa made his fortune in retail fashion, launching Japan’s largest online
fashion mall, Zozotown. Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $1.9
billion.
The tycoon has also booked a flyby around the moon aboard Elon Musk’s
Starship, which is tentatively scheduled in the next few years. He’ll be
joined on that trip by eight contest winners.
“I am planning to go to the moon in 2023 – we are in the final stages of
selecting the 8 people for the Dear Moon project,” he said.
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