Watching the Moon close up is fine, but seeing the beauty of the Earth from space is an unforgettable sight. If everything goes according to plan, then the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maedzawa and the BFR SpaceX spacecraft, filled with artists, will go on a flight around the moon in 2023. There are still a few years left, but Maezawa shared some emotions on his Twitter page.
“I am more concerned about the view on Earth than the proximity of the Moon,” he wrote on September 28. “It seems to me, having seen our planet from the side, I just burst into tears, feeling deep appreciation, love and forgiveness to all the people below.”
Maezawa mentions the “review effect” phenomenon, invented by the author Frank White in 1987. NASA describes this effect as “an experience that transforms astronauts' point of view on the planet and the place of humanity on it”. Usually, a person feels a fear of the planet, a deep understanding of the relationship of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for caring for the environment. Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins in 2009 said that his strongest memory of the 1969 moon flight was a long-distance survey of the Earth. “I really believe that political leaders should see the planet at a distance of 100,000 miles in order to radically reconsider their attitude towards the Earth,” he wrote.
SpaceX and founder Ilon Mask first introduced Maedzawa to their lunar flight client in September. The billionaire said he plans to take with him representatives of creative professions to support the inspiring project #dearMoon.