News On Japan

Japanese billionaire reaches ISS

Dec 09 (NHK) - Japanese billionaire Maezawa Yusaku has arrived at the International Space Station. The 46-year-old fashion entrepreneur and his assistant are the first Japanese private citizens to visit the Earth-orbiting station.

The Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying the pair lifted off from a cosmodrome in Kazakhstan shortly after noon on Wednesday. After a 6-hour journey, the spacecraft successfully docked at the ISS.

During his 12-day stay, Maezawa is planning to conduct and live-stream experiments proposed by the public.

This has been a boom year for space tourism. So far, private citizens have outnumbered astronauts 22 to 19.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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