Iangould
12-04-2005, 05:01 AM
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16904403%5E29677,00.html
Space geek to orbit in cartoon outfit
AFP
October 13, 2005
TOKYO: A Japanese Internet whiz is tipped to become the world's fourth space tourist -- and he wants to orbit the earth dressed as an ace pilot from a hit Japanese animation series.
The candidate for the $US20 million trip is Japanese investor Daisuke Enomoto, a 34-year-old former board director of the Livedoor Internet firm headed by flamboyant entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, local media said.
Enomoto has already passed medical checks and started flight training for a trip in late 2006, Jiji Press news agency reported.
Enomoto said in January that he was likely to be the first Japanese to make a paid space trip.
"I'm planning to do something amusing," he wrote then on his website.
If he gets Russian approval, Enomoto said he wanted to dress up on the trip as "Char Aznable", a character in the popular "Gundam" hero robot series of animation whose name is inspired by French singer Charles Aznavour.
Enomoto describes himself as a "Gundam otaku" (geek).
Space geek to orbit in cartoon outfit
AFP
October 13, 2005
TOKYO: A Japanese Internet whiz is tipped to become the world's fourth space tourist -- and he wants to orbit the earth dressed as an ace pilot from a hit Japanese animation series.
The candidate for the $US20 million trip is Japanese investor Daisuke Enomoto, a 34-year-old former board director of the Livedoor Internet firm headed by flamboyant entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, local media said.
Enomoto has already passed medical checks and started flight training for a trip in late 2006, Jiji Press news agency reported.
Enomoto said in January that he was likely to be the first Japanese to make a paid space trip.
"I'm planning to do something amusing," he wrote then on his website.
If he gets Russian approval, Enomoto said he wanted to dress up on the trip as "Char Aznable", a character in the popular "Gundam" hero robot series of animation whose name is inspired by French singer Charles Aznavour.
Enomoto describes himself as a "Gundam otaku" (geek).