Japanese billionaire seeks eight people to fly to Moon

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has invited eight members of the public to join him for a trip around the Moon on Elon Musk's SpaceX flight.

"I want people from all kinds of backgrounds to join," he said in a video via Twitter, where he also shared a link to application details.

He said he will pay for the entire journey, so those who come onboard will fly for free.

The mission, called dearMoon, is scheduled to fly in 2023.

Applicants need to meet two criteria: they should advance "whatever activity" they are in to "help other people and greater society in some way", and are "willing to support other crew members who share similar aspirations", he said.

"I have bought all the seats, so it will be a private ride," he added.

Mr Maezawa, a fashion mogul and art collector, previously said that he planned to invite "artists" for the voyage on the Starship rocket, but the adjusted project "will give people from around the globe the chance to join this journey".

"If you see yourself as an artist, then you are an artist," he said.

Last year, he also launched a documentary search for a new girlfriend to join him on the trip, before cancelling due to "mixed feelings".

In 2018, Mr Maezawa was named as the first private passenger due to be flown around the moon by SpaceX, the company owned by Elon Musk.

The price Mr Maezawa agreed to pay for his ticket to space has not been disclosed, but according to Mr Musk it was "a lot of money".

Planned for 2023, the mission would be the first lunar journey by humans since 1972.