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The
46-year-old fashion magnate and art collector in December became
the first space tourist on the International Space Station in
over a decade, preparation for a more ambitious trip around the
moon with Elon Musk's SpaceX planned for 2023.
"When you go into space, you become obsessed with the Earth," he
told reporters on Friday. "You're grateful that it has wind,
that it has smells, that it has seasons."
One of Japan's more flamboyant public figures, Maezawa regaled
his social media followers from space by showing how to make tea
in zero gravity and discussing his shortage of fresh underwear.
On Friday, he said never felt fear in orbit.
"At the time of the launch I was able to enjoy the experience,"
he said. "I felt as if it was the start of a Shinkansen (bullet)
train from the station, it was so smooth. I only realised (the
launch) when I looked out the window."
Maezawa, who sold his online fashion business Zozo to SoftBank
in 2019, will become the first private passenger on a SpaceX
moon trip scheduled for next year and is sifting through "a
million" applications for eight artists he has pledged to have
join him on the voyage.
But gazing at the Earth from space - which he said was "100
times more beautiful than photographs" - gave him other ideas.
"You begin to think about world leaders getting together in
space," he said. "Of course, I'm not a powerful enough person to
make it happen. But if it did, the world might be a better place
to live."
(Reporting by Elaine Lies. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
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