The Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft carrying Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, space flight participant Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano, blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
The Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft carrying Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, space flight participant Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano, blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
The Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft carrying Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, space flight participant Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano, blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021. Image used for illustrative purpose
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa reacts as he speaks with his family after donning space suits shortly before the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa waves from a bus as he departs for his launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS
Space flight participant Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa waves as he boards the Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft for the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa reacts as he speaks with his family after donning space suits shortly before the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
The Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft carrying Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, space flight participants Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano, blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
The Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft carrying Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, space flight participants Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano, blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa reacts as he speaks with his family after donning space suits shortly before the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa looks on during space suits check shortly before the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
Space flight participant Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa departs for a pre-launch preparation ahead of a launch to the International Space Station (ISS), in Baikonur, Kazakhstan December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur and space flight participant Yusaku Maezawa gestures behind a glass wall during a news conference in Baikonur, Kazakhstan December 7, 2021. Maezawa, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and flight participant Yozo Hirano take part in a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled for December 8, 2021.
Space flight participant Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa salutes as he departs for a pre-launch preparation ahead of a launch to the International Space Station (ISS), in Baikonur, Kazakhstan December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa looks on during space suits check shortly before the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
The Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft carrying Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, space flight participants Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano, blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
Space flight participant Yozo Hirano waves behind a glass wall during a news conference in Baikonur, Kazakhstan December 7, 2021. Hirano, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and flight participant Yusaku Maezawa take part in a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled for December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa waves from a bus as he departs for his launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa gestures from a bus as he departs for his launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS
Space flight participant Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa waves as he boards the Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft for the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
Space flight participants Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano depart for a pre-launch preparation ahead of their launch to the International Space Station (ISS), in Baikonur, Kazakhstan December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur and space flight participant Yusaku Maezawa reacts behind a glass wall during a news conference in Baikonur, Kazakhstan December 7, 2021. Maezawa, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and flight participant Yozo Hirano take part in a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled for December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa reacts as he speaks with his family after donning space suits shortly before the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021.
Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa waves from a bus as he departs for his launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS
Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and space flight participant Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano walk after donning space suits shortly before their launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, December 8, 2021. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS
Japanese billionaire blasts off into space