(Tokyo) The Japanese billionaire who recently stayed in space told Friday “to appreciate more” the Earth since his return and explained about his next missions: the tour of the Moon and a scuba diving in the Mariana Trench .
The whimsical Yusaku Maezawa, 46, who spent twelve days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in December with his assistant, gave his impressions at a press conference in Tokyo.
Coming back from space, “we appreciate more the Earth, the seasons, the wind, the smells, the perception of various things”, detailed Mr. Maezawa.
“Food” too, he added, confident that he had brought a sushi chef to his home a few days after his return.
Mr. Maezawa, who made his fortune in online fashion, described at length the spectacle of the Earth seen from the ISS: “It is very pretty in a photo, but 100 times more beautiful if you see it with your own eyes. “.
In the face of this spectacle, he said he wondered “what would world leaders think if they got together in space and talked about Earth’s problems.” It “could make Earth a better place to live,” he said.
The businessman spoke of his exploration plans: a trip around the Moon in 2023 with eight other people aboard a spacecraft from the SpaceX group, but also a dive into the deepest known oceanic trench.
“I would like to dive in the Mariana Trench” in the Pacific, said the billionaire, explaining that the type of the submarine and the duration of the dive were already decided, but that they will be announced “later”.
Mr. Maezawa who, during his stay in the ISS, posted videos on daily life in orbit on his YouTube channel, also spoke of his feeling of weightlessness and the difficulty of sleeping without gravity “because we float constantly”.
This art lover, who notably acquired a painting by Basquiat for more than $ 110 million in 2017, also said that he brought into the space a painting by a young Japanese artist which he donated to the occupants of the building. ‘ISS, “very happy”, according to him.