Even though it had become the romantic gesture of the
moment, does a Japanese billionaire seeking a date for his lunar jaunt
represent a one giant step for space tourism?
By: Ringo Bones
His name is Yusaku Maezawa and he is a 44 year old Japanese billionaire
fashion mogul who back in January 13, 2020 is seeking for a date to accompany him
on a round trip to the moon on a SpaceX rocket by 2023 – maybe the three years
preparation includes the spaceflight training for the lucky woman. The lucky
woman will be selected via a TV reality dating show. The requirements are she
must be single over 20 years of age and has a positive disposition. But
whatever the outcome will be, it could represent a “giant leap” when it comes
to making space tourism that much affordable for the rest of us.
Before the Douglas DC 3 went into service, it was the very
rich who were subsidizing the cost of civil aviation between World War I and
World War II. Given that Elon Musk has yet to create a DC 3 equivalent of a
space vehicle that could make space tourism affordable for the masses, it is up
to the world’s billionaires to foot up the bill for R n’D ing space vehicles
whose ticket prices mere mortals can afford.
