SpaceX CEO Elon Musk just announced the first passenger of the Big Falcon Rocket (or the ‘not so safe for work’ name Big F***ing Rocket) for a flyby around the Moon. This took place at a press conference on monday of last week.

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Elon has a lot of ambitious plans to get humans to Mars, and this would all come to fruition after the company finally constructs the behemoth rocket. At the start of the conference, he begins outlining the goals and aspirations of SpaceX, the dream of becoming an interplanetary species.  He then proceeds to share updates on the design and functions of the BFR. The finished product will be 118 meters tall (387 feet) and be able to carry over 100 metric tons to low-earth orbit. This rocket, when constructed, will be the most powerful rocket in its time. There will be full reusability and with orbital fueling and propellant station, be able to go anywhere in the solar system at a fraction of the cost of any other rocket.

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However an ambitious mission to make a lunar orbit will take place, and it is happening a lot sooner than you think. SpaceX is currently building the rocket and plans to finish it and send cargo to Mars in 2022. The Moon mission however is set to take place in 2023, just a year before his ambitious plan to send humans to Mars. Elon duly notes that there will be plenty of unmanned testing before he actually puts a person on board. This mission would last 4-5 days and be the first to send a human being beyond low-earth orbit since Apollo 17 on December of 1972.

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World renown Japanese art curator and entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa was confirmed to be the first passenger of the company’s BFR. Yusaku Maezawa is a Japanese businessman and art collector. In 2004, he launched the online retail site Zozotown and a new clothing brand ZOZO in 2018. At the press conference, he talks a little about himself and the reason behind his mission. Ever since childhood, he was inspired by the Moon and he stated that we would not give up the opportunity to see it up close. He then goes into his plans during the mission. Not only did he purchase a seat for himself, he bought out the whole rocket. The reason? To bring with him a group of artists from around the world. There was no disclosure on how much Yusaku paid, but there was a hefty down payment confirmation. Six to eight people will be chosen to ride along with Maezawa and each will have some sort of artistic ability. He will pick amongst painters, photographers, filmmakers, and architects to manifest his project, which is appropriately named #dearmoon. Elon himself even teased about whether or not he will be one of the passengers alongside Maezawa.

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Unfortunately, there are uncertainties as Musk points out during a Q&A. He simply is not sure whether the rocket will make it off the ground. However if everything goes according to Musk’s plans, we may see an artistic invasion of the Moon in just five years time.