London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 18, 2026

SpaceX moon flight to include DJ, YouTuber and K-pop rapper

A Japanese billionaire recruits an artists-only crew for a space voyage around the moon. A commercial DJ, K-pop rapper, and a space YouTuber are to go on a trip around the Moon, after they were picked by a Japanese billionaire for a private SpaceX flight.

Businessman Yusaku Maezawa revealed his crew on Friday after a global search for creative individuals last year.

American DJ Steve Aoki and Korean star TOP are the most high-profile picks.

The flight, scheduled for next year, could be the first lunar journey by humans since 1972.

The proposed fly-by would see a spacecraft circle the moon, coming within 200km (124 miles) of the surface. The trip would take eight days from launch to return.

However, US regulators are yet to give permission for the Starship rocket from Elon Musk's SpaceX company that the crew is supposed to travel on.

The ship has not even been approved for an orbital journey around the Earth and has been grounded for the past 18 months in Texas, after it completed a test launch in May 2021.

But Mr Maezawa made no mention of this delay in his video announcing the crew for the mission he's dubbed dearMoon.

The opening scene shows Mr Maezawa in a Japanese garden looking up at the moon. It then cuts to show the first crew member - DJ Aoki - at one of his shows.

"I can't miss this opportunity. My soul is begging for this," the Billboard-charting artist says in the video.

The next passenger revealed is Youtuber Tim Dodd - also known as the Everyday Astronaut- who has 1.4 million followers online for his educational videos on spaceflight and astrophysics.

In his own video released on Friday the vlogger said he couldn't believe he'd been selected. He added that SpaceX's announcement in 2017 that it would send a civilian to the moon was "ironically, or poetically... actually what got me started making videos on Youtube."

The other announced dearMoon mission members are:

  • TOP (Choi Seung hyun), a K-pop rapper and former lead of boyband Big Bang (South Korea)
  • Dancer and choreographer Yemi A.D (Czech Republic)
  • Photographer Rhiannon Adam (Ireland)
  • Wildlife photographer Karim Iliya (UK)
  • Filmmaker Brendan Hall (US)
  • Actor Dev Joshi (India)

US Olympic snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington and Japanese dancer Miyu were named as back-up dancers.

"I hope each and every one will recognise the responsibility that comes with leaving the Earth, travelling to the moon and back," Mr Maezawa said.

"They will gain a lot from this experience and I hope they will use that to contribute to the planet, to humanity."

Mr Maezawa, who made his fortune in online fashion retailer Zozo, has become prominently involved in commercial space travel. Last year he went to the International Space Station on a Russian rocket for 12 days.

In 2018, he was named as the first private passenger due to be flown around the moon by SpaceX and said he would sponsor the cost of eight other passengers on board.

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".

In 2020, he also launched a documentary search for a new girlfriend to join him on his moon voyage, before cancelling due to "mixed feelings".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TUC Calls for Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Taxes on Bank Profits
UK Parliament Enters Conference Recess After Advancing Sovereign Grant Legislation
King Charles Hosts Artificial Intelligence Leaders at Dumfries House Summit
Nearly Seven in Ten UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Anthropic Details Malicious Use of Claude in Cyber, Weapons and Influence Operations
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and 1,000 New Jobs
Scotland and Wales Sign Cardiff Agreement to Deepen Cooperation on Shared Policy Priorities
UK Government Moves to Fully Fund Teacher Pay Award as Strike Threat Recedes
UK Competition Regulator Deepens Scrutiny of Microsoft’s Business Software and AI Market Position
NHS England Reforms Focus on Cutting Waiting Lists and Improving Digital Care
England Maintains Mandatory Housing Targets in Push for 1.5 Million New Homes
UK Government Plans Statutory Industrial Strategy Council to Strengthen Long-Term Economic Policy
Asthma Charity Warns of Major Gaps in Childhood Diagnostic Testing Across England
TUC Chief Paul Nowak Appointed to Bank of England Court
Bristol Opens £35 Million Deep-Tech Innovation Hub at Temple Quarter
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Housing Plan
Andy Burnham Deepens UK Defense and AI Cooperation With NATO and Canada
UK Government Announces Neonatal Safety Reforms After Thirlwall Inquiry
Bank of England Weighs Rate Decision as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Health Unions Warn of Staffing Pressures as Public and Private Pay Growth Diverges
Rockstar Games Faces Tribunal Claims From 23 Former Grand Theft Auto VI Developers
UK Treasury Faces Tighter Budget Constraints as Borrowing Costs and Pension Spending Rise
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Plan for Greater Public Oversight of Utilities
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Coordinate Push for UK Constitutional Change
Police Tighten Public-Order Measures After Anti-Immigration Protests in Dover and Portsmouth
UK Ministers Pressed for Answers After US Diplomat Accused of Child Abuse Images Leaves Britain
Jaguar Land Rover Pursues NATO Defense Contracts for Defender Vehicles
British Service Member Dies in Road Accident While Deployed in Ukraine
George Osborne Calls for Britain to Rejoin EU Customs Union
Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei Urges Faster UK Action on Advanced AI Risks
UK State Pension Set for 3.9% Rise Under Triple Lock
UK Labour Market Cools as Payrolled Employment Continues to Decline
Reform UK’s £72 Million in Donations Faces Scrutiny Under Proposed Retrospective Funding Rules
UK Doctors Warn Expanded Pharmacy First Scheme Could Put Patients at Risk
British Airlines Cut Short-Haul Capacity as Jet Fuel Costs Rise
UK News Publishers Forecast 40% Search Traffic Drop as AI Overviews Expand
Axel Springer Wins Approval for £575 Million Daily Telegraph Acquisition
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Opposes Heathrow Third Runway Over Climate Targets
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Hold Summit Seeking Greater Autonomy
UK Energy Price Cap Set to Rise to £1,723 in October
UK Treasury Warns Middle East Conflict Is Threatening Economic Growth
Labour Moves to Retrospectively Cap Overseas Political Donations After Reform UK Funding Surge
HMRC Warns Nearly Seven Million Adults Are Unclear About State Pension Entitlements
UK Parliament Passes Sovereign Grant Reform Before Conference Recess
British Rail Passengers Gain Automatic Right to Switch Operators During Disruptions
Burnham Hosts Downing Street Business Summit as UK Fiscal Pressure Builds
Labour Government Moves to Challenge £72 Million in Reform UK Crypto Donations
UK Advertising Industry Warns Wider Junk Food Rules Could Put £1 Billion in Media Spending at Risk
Cornwall Opens Devolution Talks With UK Government Over Transport and Local Services
×