AFP

Thousands of sea turtles laid their eggs on Nicaragua’s coast over the weekend under the watchful eye of the army, which protects the nests from possible predators — including humans.

The olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) migrate for long distances to spawn between July and January in the Pacific coast wildlife refuges of La Flor and Chacocente, areas where the endangered species is protected against predators that plunder its nests.

La Flor beach, in San Juan del Sur, is a tourist destination in southern Nicaragua. It is an ideal location for the olive ridley turtle to nest due to its tropical climate and warm waters, which encourage reproduction, according to environmentalists.

The turtle species, which as an adult measures a little more than half a meter (1.5 feet) long and weighs about 38 kilograms (84 pounds), can lay about 90 eggs in 24 hours. The incubation process takes 40 to 70 days.

Authorities at Nicaragua’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment estimate that for every 100 turtles that hatch, 90 enter the sea, but only three make it to adulthood.

The environmental authorities are implementing a sea turtle conservation plan in partnership with the army to prevent neighboring communities from raiding the nests.

The olive ridley, distinguished by its olive green color, is one of five turtle species that nest in Nicaragua, in addition to the green, hawksbill, loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles.

NASA announced Monday its 10 latest trainee astronauts, who include a firefighter turned Harvard professor, a former member of the national cycle team, and a pilot who led the first-ever all-woman F-22 formation in combat.

The 2021 class was whittled down from a field of more than 12,000 applicants and will now report for duty in January at the Johnson Space Center in Texas, where they will undergo two years of training.

“We’re going back to the Moon, and we’re continuing on to Mars — and so today we welcome 10 new explorers,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said at an event to welcome the recruits.

“Alone, each candidate has ‘the right stuff,’ but together they represent the creed of our country: E pluribus unum – out of many, one,” he added.

The 10 candidates, who range in age from 32 to 45, will learn how to operate and maintain the International Space Station, train for spacewalks, develop robotics skills, safely operate a T-38 training jet, and learn Russian to communicate with their counterparts.

After they graduate, they could be assigned to missions aboard the ISS or deeper into space, including NASA’s planned return to the Moon later this decade under the Artemis mission, which will include the first woman and person of color to set foot on lunar soil.

The field was open to US citizens who hold a master’s degree in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field — the first time such a requirement was added — and passed an online test. The master’s degree requirement could also be met by a medical degree or completion of a test pilot program.

– Childhood dreams –

“I first became interested in becoming an astronaut at a very, very early age,”  said Jessica Wittner, 38, a lieutenant commander in the US Navy who is a test pilot and aerospace engineer.

“I was that little girl in school who would play with rockets in the park by the house and loved science class.” 

Others include fighter pilot Nichole Ayers who has more than 200 combat hours and is one of a few women currently flying the F-22 jet. In 2019 Ayers led the first all-woman formation of the aircraft in combat.

Christopher Williams, 38, is an assistant professor of medical physics at Harvard University.

“I was splitting my time between helping to research better ways we can target radiation therapy for cancer, and then actually working as part of a multidisciplinary team to treat patients,” said Williams, who holds a doctorate in astrophysics from MIT and has served as a volunteer emergency medical technician and firefighter.

Anil Menon, 45, is a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force who was previously SpaceX’s first flight surgeon before an earlier stint at NASA.

A physician born to parents from India and Ukraine, he was a first responder during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, 2015 earthquake in Nepal, and the 2011 Reno Air Show accident.

Christina Birch, 35, holds degrees in mathematics and biochemistry and molecular biophysics, as well as a doctorate in biological engineering from MIT. 

She left a career in academia to race as a track cyclist on the US team, qualifying for the Olympics and winning World Cup medals in the team pursuit and Madison race.

NASA’s last class graduated in 2017. Two of its members, Raja Chari and Kayla Barron, are currently serving aboard the ISS. 

Rising sea temperatures and overfishing threaten coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean with complete collapse in the next 50 years, according to a groundbreaking study of these marine ecosystems.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Sustainability on Monday, warned that reefs along the eastern coast of Africa and island nations like Mauritius and Seychelles faced a high risk of extinction unless urgent action was taken.

For the first time, researchers were able to assess the vulnerability of individual reefs across the vast western reaches of the Indian Ocean, and identify the main threats to coral health.

They found that all reefs in this region faced “complete ecosystem collapse and irreversible damage” within decades, and that ocean warming meant some coral habitats were already critically endangered.

“The findings are quite serious. These reefs are vulnerable to collapse,” lead author David Obura, founding director at CORDIO East Africa, a Kenya-based oceans research institute, told AFP.

“There’s nowhere in the region where the reefs are in full health. They’ve all declined somewhat, and that will continue.”

The study, co-authored with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, assessed 11,919 square kilometres of reef, representing about five percent of the global total.

Reefs fringing picturesque island nations like Mauritius, Seychelles, the Comoros and Madagascar — popular ecotourism destinations heavily reliant on their marine environment — were most at risk, researchers said.

– ‘Double whammy’ –

Coral reefs cover only a tiny fraction — 0.2 percent — of the ocean floor, but they are home to at least a quarter of all marine animals and plants.

Besides anchoring marine ecosystems, they also provide protein, jobs and protection from storms and shoreline erosion for hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Obura said healthy reefs were “very valuable” and their loss would prove “a double whammy”.

“For biodiversity, but also all sorts of coastal economies that depend on reefs,” he said.

Climate change posed the biggest threat to coral health overall in the western Indian Ocean, where scientists say seawater temperatures are warming faster than in other parts of the globe.

Oceans absorb more than 90 percent of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions, shielding land surfaces but generating huge, long-lasting marine heatwaves that are pushing many species of corals past their limits of tolerance.

But along the east coast of continental Africa from Kenya to South Africa, pressure from overfishing was also identified in this latest study as another major scourge on reef ecosystems.

This underscored the need to urgently address both global threats to coral reefs from climate change, and local ones such as overfishing, Obura said.

“We need to give these reefs the best chance. In order to do that, we have to reduce the drivers, reverse the pressure on reefs,” he said.

In October, the largest ever global survey of coral health revealed that dynamite fishing, pollution but mainly global warming had wiped out 14 percent of the world’s coral reefs from 2009 to 2018.

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru spewed more ash on Monday, hampering the search for survivors as the death toll rose to 22 following the volcano’s deadly weekend eruption.

The biggest mountain on the island of Java thundered to life Saturday, ejecting a mushroom of volcanic ash high into the sky and raining hot mud as thousands of panicked people fled their homes.

Aerial photos showed entire streets filled with grey volcanic ash and mud, which had swallowed many homes and vehicles, including whole trucks.

Indonesia’s national disaster agency said the number killed rose to 22 on Monday night and 27 people were still missing.

“I’m still hoping my son will be found… Every time I hear victims have been found, I hope it is my son,” said Maskur Suhri of Sumberwuluh village, who was collecting palm tree sap when Semeru erupted.

“There’s a very small chance he survived… Maybe it’s my son’s fate, but I still hope he will be found, even just his body.”

Fresh volcanic activity on Monday hampered search efforts, forcing rescue teams to pull out from some areas.

“There was a small fresh eruption and it could endanger the evacuation teams,” said rescue worker Rizal Purnama.

Dangerous thick plumes of smoke continued to emerge from areas blanketed by the volcanic ash, while rescuers in hardhats tried to dig through the mud to try and find survivors — and recover bodies.

Their task was made more difficult as the volcanic debris had started to harden.

“It’s very difficult… with simple tools,” Rizal Purnama said. “It is very likely bodies that have not been found are buried under the hot mudflow.”

Other rescuers helped desperate villagers salvage their belongings from wrecked homes. Some locals lifted mattresses and furniture on their shoulders while others carried goats in their arms.

– ‘I could only pray’ –

Officials have advised locals not to travel within five kilometres (3.1 miles) of Semeru’s crater, as the nearby air is highly polluted and could affect vulnerable groups.

Ash from Semeru travelled up to four kilometres away after the Saturday eruption, Indonesia’s geological agency reported.

A sand mine company’s office in Kampung Renteng village was buried after the eruption, trapping 15 people, according to foreman Hasim, 65, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

“There’s no news from them. Only one operator was rescued, he’s now at the hospital with burns,” he told AFP.

Hasim said he ran home after the eruption.

“It was pitch dark,” he added. “It was only 3 pm but it looked like night.”

Rescue officials said some were buried inside their vehicles, with no time to escape.

Those who managed to find shelter recounted the horror after the eruption.

Suwarti Ningsi and her daughter were trapped for five hours at home after the eruption.

“I couldn’t see anything, it was just like at night. Everybody was panicking,” said the 42-year-old.

“I could only pray… for me and my daughter to be saved.”

The Red Cross said it had rushed ambulances, medical teams, more than 65,000 surgical masks — to protect against ash and Covid — and other emergency supplies to the affected areas.

– Threat of rain –

The ash and mud have also polluted the waterways around Mt Semeru, turning them into streams of dark grey sludge.

Rain is forecast for the area, which could further hinder rescue work.

There is also a risk of the rain causing ash sediment to form a new river of hot lava, the country’s top volcanologist Surono told a local TV station.

Semeru’s last major eruption was in December 2020, which also forced thousands to flee and wrecked villages.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity, and the country has nearly 130 active volcanoes.

In late 2018, an eruption in the strait between Java and Sumatra islands caused an underwater landslide and tsunami that killed more than 400 people.

Nepal started counting endangered Royal Bengal tigers in its vast forested southern plains, officials said Monday, as conservationists help the big cats claw their way back from near extinction.

Deforestation, habitat encroachment and poaching have devastated tiger populations across Asia, but Nepal and 12 other countries signed a pledge in 2010 to double their numbers by next year.

Technicians on Sunday began installing cameras in Chitwan National Park, the country’s biggest tiger conservation area, with wildlife experts to identify individual animals by their unique stripes.

Nearly 4,000 motion-sensitive cameras will eventually be set up across more than 12,000 square kilometres (4,600 square miles) of protected areas and adjoining forests.

“The survey is aimed at getting information on the status of tigers which will help us to assess whether our strategies on safeguarding the tiger population have worked,” Bed Kumar Dhakal of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department told AFP. 

The 2010 Tiger Conservation Plan signed by Nepal is backed by celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio.

The world’s wild tiger population rose to 3,890 in 2016, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Global Tiger Forum. 

It was the first increase in more than a century and up from an all-time low of 3,200 at the start of that decade. 

Nepal had 235 tigers in 2018, according to a survey, up nearly double from nine years earlier.

The results of the census are expected in July.  

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru spewed more ash on Monday, hampering the search for survivors as aerial images showed the extent of the devastation unleashed by the volcano’s deadly weekend eruption.

The biggest mountain on the island of Java thundered to life Saturday, ejecting a mushroom of volcanic ash high into the sky and raining hot mud as thousands of panicked people fled their homes. At least 15 were killed.

Aerial photos showed entire streets filled with grey volcanic ash and mud, which had swallowed many homes and vehicles, including whole trucks.

Indonesia’s national disaster agency said 27 people were still missing.

“I’m still hoping my son will be found… Every time I hear victims have been found, I hope it is my son,” said Maskur Suhri of Sumberwuluh village, who was collecting palm tree sap when Semeru erupted.

“There’s a very small chance he survived… Maybe it’s my son’s fate, but I still hope he will be found, even just his body.”

Fresh volcanic activity on Monday hampered search efforts, forcing rescue teams to pull out from some areas.

“There was a small fresh eruption and it could endanger the evacuation teams,” said rescue worker Rizal Purnama.

Dangerous thick plumes of smoke continued to emerge from areas blanketed by the volcanic ash, while rescuers in hardhats tried to dig through the mud to try and find survivors — and recover bodies.

Their task was made more difficult as the volcanic debris had started to harden.

“It’s very difficult… with simple tools,” Rizal Purnama said. “It is very likely bodies that have not been found are buried under the hot mudflow.”

Other rescuers helped desperate villagers salvage their belongings from wrecked homes. Some locals lifted mattresses and furniture on their shoulders while others carried goats in their arms.

– ‘I could only pray’ –

Officials have advised locals not to travel within five kilometres (3.1 miles) of Semeru’s crater, as the nearby air is highly polluted and could affect vulnerable groups.

Ash from Semeru travelled up to four kilometres away after the Saturday eruption, Indonesia’s geological agency reported.

A sand mine company’s office in Kampung Renteng village was buried after the eruption, trapping 15 people, according to foreman Hasim, 65, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

“There’s no news from them. Only one operator was rescued, he’s now at the hospital with burns,” he told AFP.

Hasim said he ran home after the eruption.

“It was pitch dark,” he added. “It was only 3 pm but it looked like night.”

Rescue officials said some were buried inside their vehicles, with no time to escape.

Those who managed to find shelter recounted the horror after the eruption.

Suwarti Ningsi and her daughter were trapped for five hours at home after the eruption.

“I couldn’t see anything, it was just like at night. Everybody was panicking,” said the 42-year-old.

“I could only pray… for me and my daughter to be saved.”

The Red Cross said it had rushed ambulances, medical teams, more than 65,000 surgical masks — to protect against ash and Covid — and other emergency supplies to the affected areas.

– Threat of rain –

The ash and mud have also polluted the waterways around Mt Semeru, turning them into streams of dark grey sludge.

Rain is forecast for the area, which could further hinder rescue work.

There is also a risk of the rain causing ash sediment to form a new river of hot lava, the country’s top volcanologist Surono told a local TV station.

Semeru’s last major eruption was in December 2020, which also forced thousands to flee and wrecked villages.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity, and the country has nearly 130 active volcanoes.

In late 2018, an eruption in the strait between Java and Sumatra islands caused an underwater landslide and tsunami that killed more than 400 people.

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru spewed more ash on Monday, hampering the search for survivors as aerial images showed the extent of the devastation unleashed by the volcano’s deadly weekend eruption.

The biggest mountain on the island of Java thundered to life Saturday, ejecting a mushroom of volcanic ash high into the sky and raining hot mud as thousands of panicked people fled their homes. At least 15 were killed.

Aerial photos showed entire streets filled with grey volcanic ash and mud, which had swallowed many homes and vehicles, including whole trucks.

Indonesia’s national disaster agency said 27 people were still missing.

“I’m still hoping my son will be found… Every time I hear victims have been found, I hope it is my son,” said Maskur Suhri of Sumberwuluh village, who was collecting palm tree sap when Semeru erupted.

“There’s a very small chance he survived… Maybe it’s my son’s fate, but I still hope he will be found, even just his body.”

Fresh volcanic activity on Monday hampered search efforts, forcing rescue teams to pull out from some areas.

“There was a small fresh eruption and it could endanger the evacuation teams,” said rescue worker Rizal Purnama.

Dangerous thick plumes of smoke continued to emerge from areas blanketed by the volcanic ash, while rescuers in hardhats tried to dig through the mud to try and find survivors — and recover bodies.

Their task was made more difficult as the volcanic debris had started to harden.

“It’s very difficult… with simple tools,” Rizal Purnama said. “It is very likely bodies that have not been found are buried under the hot mudflow.”

Other rescuers helped desperate villagers salvage their belongings from wrecked homes. Some locals lifted mattresses and furniture on their shoulders while others carried goats in their arms.

– ‘I could only pray’ –

Officials have advised locals not to travel within five kilometres (3.1 miles) of Semeru’s crater, as the nearby air is highly polluted and could affect vulnerable groups.

Ash from Semeru travelled up to four kilometres away after the Saturday eruption, Indonesia’s geological agency reported.

A sand mine company’s office in Kampung Renteng village was buried after the eruption, trapping 15 people, according to foreman Hasim, 65, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

“There’s no news from them. Only one operator was rescued, he’s now at the hospital with burns,” he told AFP.

Hasim said he ran home after the eruption.

“It was pitch dark,” he added. “It was only 3 pm but it looked like night.”

Rescue officials said some were buried inside their vehicles, with no time to escape.

Those who managed to find shelter recounted the horror after the eruption.

Suwarti Ningsi and her daughter were trapped for five hours at home after the eruption.

“I couldn’t see anything, it was just like at night. Everybody was panicking,” said the 42-year-old. 

“I could only pray… for me and my daughter to be saved.”

– Threat of rain –

The ash and mud have also polluted the waterways around Mt Semeru, turning them into streams of dark grey sludge.

Rain is forecast for the area, which could further hinder rescue work.

There is also a risk of the rain causing ash sediment to form a new river of hot lava, the country’s top volcanologist Surono told a local TV station.

Mt Semeru’s last major eruption was in December 2020, which also forced thousands to flee and wrecked villages.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity, and the country has nearly 130 active volcanoes.

In late 2018, an eruption in the strait between Java and Sumatra islands caused an underwater landslide and tsunami that killed more than 400 people.

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru spewed more ash on Monday, forcing rescuers to suspend the search for survivors as aerial images showed the extent of the devastation unleashed by the volcano’s deadly weekend eruption.

The biggest mountain on the island of Java thundered to life Saturday, ejecting a mushroom of volcanic ash high into the sky and raining hot mud as thousands of panicked people fled their homes. At least 15 were killed.

Aerial photos showed entire streets filled with grey volcanic ash and mud, which had swallowed many homes and vehicles, including whole trucks.

Rescue operations were suspended because of fresh volcanic activity on Monday.

“All evacuation teams have been pulled out… temporarily because there was a small fresh eruption and it could endanger the evacuation teams,” said rescue worker Rizal Purnama.

“The search will continue today once the situation is a bit safer.”

Indonesia’s national disaster agency said 27 people were still missing.

Dangerous thick plumes of smoke continued to emerge from areas blanketed by the volcanic ash, while rescuers in hardhats tried to dig through the mud to try and find survivors — and recover bodies.

Their task was made more difficult as the volcanic debris had started to harden.

“It’s very difficult… with simple tools,” Rizal Purnama said. “It is very likely bodies that have not been found are buried under the hot mudflow.”

Other rescuers helped desperate villagers salvage their belongings from wrecked homes. Some locals lifted mattresses and furniture on their shoulders while others carried goats in their arms.

– ‘I could only pray’ –

Officials have advised locals not to travel within five kilometres (3.1 miles) of Semeru’s crater, as the nearby air is highly polluted and could affect vulnerable groups.

Ash from Semeru travelled up to four kilometres away after the Saturday eruption, Indonesia’s geological agency reported.

A sand mine company’s office in Kampung Renteng village was buried after the eruption, trapping 15 people, according to foreman Hasim, 65, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

“There’s no news from them. Only one operator was rescued, he’s now at the hospital with burns,” he told AFP.

Hasim said he ran home after the eruption.

“It was pitch dark,” he added. “It was only 3 pm but it looked like night.”

Rescue officials said some were buried inside their vehicles, with no time to escape.

Those who managed to find shelter recounted the horror after the eruption.

Suwarti Ningsi and her daughter were trapped for five hours at home after the eruption.

“I couldn’t see anything, it was just like at night. Everybody was panicking,” said the 42-year-old. 

“I could only pray… for me and my daughter to be saved.”

– Threat of rain –

The ash and mud also polluted the waterways around Mt Semeru, turning them into streams of dark grey sludge.

Rain is forecast for the area, which could further hinder rescue work.

There is also a risk of the rain causing ash sediment to form a new river of hot lava, the country’s top volcanologist Surono told a local TV station.

Mt Semeru’s last major eruption was in December 2020, which also forced thousands to flee and wrecked villages.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity, and the country has nearly 130 active volcanoes.

In late 2018, an eruption in the strait between Java and Sumatra islands caused an underwater landslide and tsunami that killed more than 400 people.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who blasts off for the International Space Station this week, is an irreverent space enthusiast who has made headlines for splashing the cash on modern art.

The 46-year-old tycoon is the founder of Japan’s largest online fashion mall and is the country’s 30th-richest person, according to business magazine Forbes.

But he is far from the traditional image of a staid Japanese businessman, with more than 10 million people following his Twitter account, its handle a play on his first name: @yousuck2020.

And he’s a big spender, particularly when it comes to his twin passions: modern art and space travel.

He hit the headlines in 2017 when he forked out a whopping $110.5 million for Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1982 painting “Untitled”, a skull-like head in oil-stick, acrylic and spray paint on a giant canvas.

It was a record price, but Maezawa insists he is just an “ordinary collector” who buys pieces “simply because they are beautiful”.

On December 8, Maezawa will become the first space tourist to travel to the ISS with Russia’s space agency Roscosmos since Canadian Guy Laliberte, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, in 2009.

He will be accompanied on the 12-day mission by his assistant Yozo Hirano, a film producer who will be documenting the journey for Maezawa’s YouTube channel and its 754,000 subscribers.

How much Maezawa has spent on his upcoming space adventure is unclear, as the price tag has been kept a secret, though similar trips have cost millions of dollars.

But the cost is unlikely to make much of a dent in the $1.9 billion net worth Maezawa is estimated to have accumulated through his firm Zozo, previously known as Start Today, which operates the hugely popular ZOZOTOWN online fashion site.

Maezawa arrived in Kazakhstan for space training in November, and has said he is “not afraid or worried” about the voyage.

– ‘Buy big dreams’ –

He has been soliciting ideas for things he should do in space and asking questions including: “Do you move forward when you fart in space? What happens when you play Pokémon GO in space?”

In Japan, Maezawa’s exploits are often fodder for gossip magazines, with a particular focus on his love life over his space exploits.

The ISS trip won’t be Maezawa’s last space odyssey, as the businessman has also booked out an entire SpaceX rocket for a trip around the Moon scheduled for 2023 at the earliest.

Maezawa originally said he planned to invite six to eight artists on the trip, asking them to create “masterpieces (that) will inspire the dreamer within all of us”.

But in March, he announced he was broadening the search beyond artists, and claims to have received one million applications for eight spots on the rocket made by Elon Musk’s firm.

Maezawa has made a habit of holding online competitions, creating a Twitter frenzy in 2020 when he said he would give away $9 million to 1,000 people as a “social experiment”. 

But he backed out of a separate competition seeking candidates to be his girlfriend… after attracting nearly 30,000 applicants.

As a young man, Maezawa had aspirations in the music world and was a drummer with a band named Switch Style, which made its debut in 2000.

But he came to feel the business world was more creative than music, and has said writing and performing eventually become a frustrating routine.

He began dabbling in business even before the band’s debut, and has attributed Zozo’s success to the fact he and his staff were “doing what we enjoy”.

“Work hard, make people happy, earn money, buy big dreams, visit amazing places, meet people, experience great things, grow as a person, and work again,” he wrote in May on his Twitter account, explaining his philosophy.

“The cycle repeats. The cycle of making dreams come true. We can even go to space.”

Russia on Wednesday will send Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa to the International Space Station in a move marking Moscow’s return to the now booming space tourism business after a decade-long break.

One of Japan’s richest men, Maezawa, 46, will blast off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan accompanied by his assistant Yozo Hirano. 

On Sunday morning, their Soyuz spacecraft with a Japanese flag and an “MZ” logo for Maezawa’s name was moved onto the launch pad in unusually wet weather for Baikonur, an AFP journalist saw.

The mission will end a decade-long pause in Russia’s space tourism programme that has not accepted tourists since Canada’s Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte in 2009.

However, in a historic first, the Russian space agency Roscosmos in October sent actress Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko to the ISS to film scenes for the first movie in orbit in an effort to beat a rival Hollywood project.

Maezawa’s launch comes at a challenging time for Russia as its space industry struggles to remain relevant and keep up with Western competitors in the modern space race. 

Last year, the US company SpaceX of billionaire Elon Musk ended Russia’s monopoly on manned flights to the ISS after it delivered astronauts to the orbiting laboratory in its Crew Dragon capsule.

This, however, also freed up seats on Russia’s Soyuz rockets that were previously purchased by NASA allowing Moscow to accept fee-paying tourists like Maezawa.

Their three-seat Soyuz spacecraft will be piloted by Alexander Misurkin, a 44-year-old Russian cosmonaut who has already been on two missions to the ISS.

The pair will spend 12 days aboard the space station where they plan to document their journey for Maezawa’s YouTube channel with more than 750,000 subscribers.

The tycoon is the founder of Japan’s largest online fashion mall and the country’s 30th richest man, according to Forbes.

“I am almost crying because of my impressions, this is so impressive,” Maezawa said in late November after arriving at Baikonur for the final days of preparation.

Maezawa and Hirano have spent the past few months training at Star City, a town outside Moscow that has prepared generations of Soviet and Russian cosmonauts.  

– ‘Hardest training ever’ – 

Maezawa said that training in the spinning chair “almost feels like torture”. 

“It’s the hardest training ever done,” he tweeted in late November.

So far Russia has sent seven self-funded tourists to space in partnership with the US-based company Space Adventures. Maezawa and Hirano will be the first from Japan.

Maezawa’s launch comes at the end of a year that became a milestone for amateur space travel. 

In September, SpaceX operated a historic flight taking the first all-civilian crew on a three-day journey around the Earth’s orbit in a mission called Inspiration4.

Blue Origin, the company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, completed two missions beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. The passengers included 90-year-old Star Trek star William Shatner and Bezos himself. 

Soon after, billionaire Richard Branson travelled aboard his Virgin Galactic spacecraft that also offered a few minutes of weightlessness before coming back to Earth.

Those journeys mark the beginning of space opening up for non-professionals with more launches announced for the future. 

In 2023, SpaceX is planning to take eight amateur astronauts around the moon in a spaceflight that is bankrolled by Maezawa, who will also be onboard. 

Russia has also said it will take more tourists to the ISS on future Soyuz launches and also plans to offer one of them a spacewalk. 

For Russia, retaining its title of a top space nation is a matter of national pride stemming from its Soviet-era achievements amid rivalry with the United States. 

The Soviets coined a number of firsts in space: the first satellite, first man in space, first woman in space, first spacewalk, to name just a few. 

But in recent years Russia’s space programme has suffered setbacks, including corruption scandals and botched launches, and faced a cut in state funding.

The industry remains reliant on Soviet-designed technology and while new projects have been announced, such as a mission to Venus, their timeline and feasibility remain unclear.