Start by pre-registering, and get a fun “Crew Candidate Certificate“!

Yusaku Maezawa is one of the the more eccentric billionaires of the world. The founder of online fashion retailer ZOZOTOWN isn’t the kind of rich man to waste his money on frivolous things–well, he kind of is, since has more money than he could ever spend, but he’s also pretty generous with his cash, and is known to be a strong supporter of the arts and sciences.

Recently, the entrepreneur has been making headlines all over the world because on March 2, he posted an open invitation to the world to join him on the first Space-X flight that will circle the moon, in what he calls the “dearMoon” project.

In videos posted to his Twitter and YouTube accounts, Maezawa announced that he’s inviting eight people from around the world to fill the seats he’s already paid for on the as-yet-unfinished commercial spaceship, “Starship”, which is expected to take flight in 2023. The video posted to Maezawa’s YouTube channel explains his plans for the dearMoon project in detail, as well as Space-X founder Elon Musk’s thoughts on the project:

According to the video, the qualities Maezawa is looking for in his potential crewmates are just twofold: first, that “whatever activity you are into, by going into space, I hope that you can push its envelope to help other people and greater society in some way”. He wants people who can use their experience in space to do even greater things with their work than before. Second, Maezawa wants passengers that are “willing and able to support other crew members who share similar aspirations.”

If you’re a creative type who dreams of changing the world, you can apply to be one of the lucky eight to fly to the moon and play among the stars via the dearMoon website. The process looks like it’ll be quite lengthy, with five stages of interviews and screenings. Step one is pre-registration, which is open now to everyone. All you have to do is put in your name, country, and e-mail address, and then upload a picture, and you’ll get pre-registered, which essentially means you’ll be put on the mailing list for information.

Pre-registration closes on March 14 at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Standard Time. After that, Stage 2 will commence: the document-based screening. On March 15, details will be sent out about the requirements for application and the selection process, and final submissions of whichever documents they ask for–resumes or essays, perhaps–must be made by March 21 at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.

Stage 3 involves a screening based on assignments, though what that means is a bit unclear, since details and dates for Stage 3 have yet to be unveiled. Following that will be online interviews (Stage 4), and then final interviews and medical evaluations (Stage 5), which are expected to take place at the end of May.

Of course, since the ship itself is still in development and the journey isn’t scheduled for another two years, the details of the flight plan, the ship, the space suits that participants will be wearing, and other information are still undetermined. As details are finalized, information will be posted on the dearMoon website, as well as to Maezawa’s Twitter page, so if you’re interested even in just watching the project unfold, you might want to give it a follow.

By the sounds of it, Maezawa is looking for people who really want to broaden their creative horizons and use that to make a difference in the world, so if that sounds like you, definitely apply! But whether your ambitions are to make a difference in the world or just to see what the project is all about, pre-registering is free with no commitment, and you’ll also get a free crew candidate certificate like the one below, complete with your photo in the helmet and your country’s flag on the arm of the space suit. It’s a fun souvenir for this historic project!

Just be aware that scams using Maezawa’s name are pretty common, so if you do preregister and happen to get a text or friend request from Maezawa–it’s probably better if you don’t accept them or open any links. Good luck!

Source: PR Times, YouTube/Yusaku Maezawa【MZ】
Images: PR Times
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