This is really inspiring for Gundam fans :)
SC
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
News: Japanese space tourist to wear cartoon costume
A self-confessed Japanese cartoon geek said on Friday he will become
the world's fourth space tourist late next year -- and he wants to gaze
down at the Earth dressed as an ace pilot from a hit animation series.
The $20-million trip will take into space Daisuke Enomoto, a
34-year-old former board director of the Livedoor internet firm headed
by flamboyant entrepreneur Takafumi Horie.
Enomoto, a slender man appearing in a recent photo in glasses and dyed
blond hair, said on his website that he has already passed medical
checks and had basic training in Russia last month on a programme
offered by United States space-tourism firm Space Adventures.
Fully-fledged training will begin at the start of 2006 for the 10-day
flight, in which the wealthy college dropout will spend seven nights at
the International Space Station.
The investor, who describes himself as a geek follower of the popular
Gundam robot animation series, said he will work with Japanese
companies to design his own red costume like that in the show for his
space journey.
The costume is the trademark outfit worn by "Char Aznable", an ace
pilot in the Gundam series whose name is inspired by French singer
Charles Aznavour.
He also plans to build a plastic model of a character in the Gundam
series while in space.
Enomoto said he does not know whether the trip -- to take place
sometime in late 2006 -- should be labelled a pastime or business.
"It may be okay to think this is a survey before I start up or invest
in the space business," he said.
"But the top reason is that I simply want to go," he said, arguing that
curiosity has brought civilisation to higher stages.
"Space has future possibilities and it is not time to say this and that
about the price of the trip. It is only a small issue," he said.
Enomoto said he has always wanted to be an astronaut.
"In reality, the dream can come true only in America or Russia. Even if
you are born in America or Russia and are the elite of elite, it is a
difficult dream to realise," he said.
"I'm not an elite, as I dropped out of college. Even if I cannot take a
frontal route, however, I believed my desire would take me to space.
So, you can also go there!"
Enomoto is an independent entrepreneur after a stint at Livedoor, whose
founder Horie has become a celebrity for his no-holds-barred business
style and unsuccessful run for Parliament.
The third civilian to pay for a space flight, US millionaire
businessman Greg Olsen, returned to Earth last month in the Soyuz space
capsule.
He was preceded into space by two other millionaire tourists, American
Dennis Tito in 2001 and South African Mark Shuttleworth the following
year.
Japan's leading travel agency said in August it had set up an exclusive
sales agreement for the market here with Space Adventures to send the
country's most adventurous tourists into orbit.
Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) started sales in October and has already sold
three contracts for an 11-million yen ($100 000) journey in a rocket
for a brief glance down at Earth. The trip will start in 2007 or 2008.
"We are surprised to receive orders this quick," JTB spokesperson
****nichi Tsuaki said. -- Sapa-AFP
URL:
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/other_news/&articleid=255684
|
