Starship at the SpaceX facility in Boca Chica, Texas
Courtesy SpaceX
Aspiring astronauts, space experience not necessary, are being invited by Yusaku Maezawa, founder of Japanese online fashion company Zozotown, to apply for one of eight seats on the first civilian lunar flight – on his dime. The journey, named dearMoon and planned for 2023 on SpaceX’s Starship rocket, may go farther than the Apollo missions. According to CNBC, to qualify, prospective passengers must be able to advance whatever activity they are into by going to space, and “be willing and able to support other crew members who share similar aspirations,” Maezawa says.