January 17, 2020, 06:08 PM
Applications to be Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa's girlfriend are now closed.
The billionaire bought seats to fly to the moon in 2018
In 2018, SpaceX announced to the public that Maezawa was the first private passenger aboard the spaceship, Big Falcon Rocket, owned by Elon Musk.
The 44-year-old fashion mogul, who is worth S$2.69 billion, bought all available seats for the spaceship that is set to fly to the moon in 2023.
The dearMoon project, as it is called, will not see the travellers landing on the moon.
Instead, they will fly around the far side of the moon and come back to earth after.
Maezawa added that he would like to take his girlfriend to the moon, as he did not want to have such a "fantastic experience" by himself.
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27,722 women applied
Thus began the search for Maezawa's life and space travel partner.
The billionaire paired up with Streaming service, AbemaTV, to produce a documentary called "Full Moon Lovers" which will document his search.
Maezawa said the same in a tweet on Jan. 12.
[WANTED!!!]
— 前澤友作@MZDAO (@yousuck2020) January 12, 2020
Why not be the ‘first woman’ to travel to the moon?#MZ_looking_for_love https://t.co/R5VEMXwggl pic.twitter.com/mK6fIJDeiv
The requirements listed on the application page were:
- Single women aged 20 or over
- Bright personality and always positive
- Interested in going into space and able to participate in the preparation for it
- Want to enjoy life to the fullest
- Be someone who wishes for world peace
Applications closed today (Jan. 17) at 9am.
According to a tweet by the streaming service, the total number of applicants was 27,722.
Initially embarrassed to go on the show
In a introduction on the program's website posted on Jan. 9, Maezawa confessed that he was initially embarrassed when invited to participate in the show.
He thought about rejecting the offer out of pride.
However, after some contemplation, he realised that it was a rare opportunity that may never happen again.
This was compounded by feelings of loneliness and emptiness, which "slowly begin to surge upon [him]".
While he only has a "hazy image" about the woman he wants to love, he finally decided to take up the offer.
"With that future partner of mine, I want to shout our love and world peace from outer space. I look forward to meeting someone amazing."
Backlash from female professionals
While the billionaire took the opportunity to highlight that whoever wins his heart will get to be the first woman in space, it has garnered backlash from women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), who worry about the example it might set for young women.
The highly-publicised dating show potentially implies that a romantic relationship could get them farther in life than working hard in the fields of STEM.
Emily Calandrelli, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate and Emmy-nominated host for TV series "XplorationOuterSpace", highlighted that she would not want to tell her child that the first woman to go to the moon got there through winning a dating contest.
"mom, who was the first woman to travel to the moon?"
— Emily Calandrelli (@TheSpaceGal) January 12, 2020
"Well, she won a dating contest..."
is *not* the answer I want to give.
Not against the concept in general, but firsts are special. History remembers them. I need this one to be done right. https://t.co/Qz24hYnKqX
Naia Butler-Craig, who is an intern at NASA and currently pursuing a PhD in aerospace engineering, tweeted that she would be sad if the first woman who gets to orbit the moon might only be known as a billionaire's girlfriend.
Just cause I know this will probably get negative traction: No shade to the lady who accepts but my heart will hurt if in history books the first woman to go to the moon is only going to be known as a billionaires girlfriend. Not the message we want to send to future explorers.
— bugatti spaceships 🚀👩🏾🚀 (@astronaia) January 13, 2020
Maezawa is set to reveal his choice in end-March, after rounds of selection and dates.
Related article:
Top photos by Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP and Yusaku Maezawa/Instagram
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