'Geek' is all set for space
2005-11-04 12:33
Tokyo - A self-confessed Japanese cartoon geek said on Friday he would become the world's fourth space tourist next year - and he wants to gaze down at the Earth dressed as an ace pilot from a hit animation series.
The $20m trip in late 2006 will take into space investor Daisuke Enomoto, a 34-year-old former board director of the Livedoor internet firm headed by flamboyant entrepreneur Takafumi Horie.
Enomoto said on his website that he had already passed medical checks and had basic training in Russia last month on a program offered by space tourism firm Space Adventures.
Full-fledged training will begin at the start of 2006 for the 10-day flight, in which he will stay at the International Space Station for seven days.
Enomoto, who describes himself as a geek follower of the popular Gundam robot animation series, said he would work with Japanese companies to design his own red costume like 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.
'I simply want to go'
He also plans to build a plastic model of a character in the Gundam series while in space.
Enomoto said he did not know whether the trip could 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.
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, followed by South African Mark Shuttleworth the following year.