Nigerian shortlisted for 2023 spaceflight

A Czech Republic-based Nigerian creative artist, Yemi Akinyemi Dele aka Yemi AD, has made the shortlist for the first 20 applicants for the SpaceX Dear Moon project slated for 2023.

The project is a space mission organised by Elon Musk and funded by Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire and founder of E-Shop in Zozotown.

• I won’t allow vacancy in traditional stools beyond 2 yrs — Fayemi
• I won’t allow vacancy in traditional stools beyond 2 yrs — Fayemi

Japanese fashion tycoon, Maezawa, who signed up to be SpaceX’s first customer to fly to the moon aboard a starship spacecraft in 2023, has been looking for a few like-minded space enthusiasts to join him on the voyage; all expenses paid.

The search, with over one million applications across 249 countries, is now in the final stage of screening as the billionaire has narrowed the selection down to just 20 finalists.

In a signed statement made available to Daily Trust, Yemi AD, said the names would still be pruned down to eight for the mission to moon.

The statement reads in part: “With this development, Yemi needs the support and prayers of all Nigerians in order to be among the eight that would be selected for the starship rocket mission with Yusaku Maezawa in 2023.

“As a boy, I wanted to travel into space, but I soon realised that I would hardly fit in with the chosen ones, so I left my dream, like many children, in the imaginary bottom drawer.

“However, when I learned about Yusaku Maezawa’s incredible project, I realised how wonderful it is to live in an age where it is possible to make a journey from a small town, across America and Hollywood, and around the moon in a lifetime.”