The Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa said he can barely contain his excitement on the eve of blasting off to the International Space Station in preparation for a trip around the moon with Musk.
The first space tourist in more than a decade is a 46-year-old fashion magnate and art collector.
Maezawa will travel on a Russian-operated spaceship that will be launched on Wednesday from the Baikonur cosmodrome. He will be accompanied by his assistant, Yozo Hirano, and the Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.
Maezawa said flying into space was a childhood dream.
I am excited. Maezawa said at the news conference that he felt like an elementary school student about to go on an outing. I did not think I would be able to go to space. I used to enjoy the stars and heavenly bodies. I feel fortunate to have this opportunity to fulfill my dream.
The billionaire has been documenting his space preparations on social media, including showing off his space suit and riding a centrifuge.
During his 100 days of training, Maezawa said he enjoyed the experience of weightlessness on an adapted plane, but found it difficult to train in a spinning chair.
The man who was wearing a blue flight suit with a badges reading "world peace" said he had trouble learning Russian and was looking forward to eating sushi when he came back to Earth.
The number of civilian journeys has been increasing this year and the seats for the Soyuz launches have been filled. In October, it sent an actor and a film director to the station to film scenes for a movie.
Maezawa will be the first private passenger on the moon trip, as commercial firms such as Blue Origin are starting to offer space travel for wealthy clients.
The billionaire, who sold his online fashion business Zozo to SoftBank, is looking for eight people to join him on his moon voyage in 2023, and they need to pass medical tests and an interview.
In a country known for its conformist, corporate culture, Maezawa has become a household name through his penchant for private jets and supercars, cash payouts to followers on social media and celebrity partners.
Maezawa will be the first Japanese private citizen in space since 1990.
