A Nigerian born in the Czech Republic to a Nigerian father and Czech mother, Yemi Akinyemi Dele, has made the list of crew members to join Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa on the first civilian mission to the moon in 2023.
Yemi Akinyemi Dele, also known as Yemi A.D, who was born in 1981, is a multidisciplinary creative, social innovator, and choreographer who teaches children, people, and organisations how to explore and reach their creative potential.
Yemi A.D said he represents Africa and Eastern Europe and that the last person to go to space from Czech was before he was born. “It is a great honour and privilege for me, as not just a Czech but also as a Nigerian, and for all the children,” he said.
The Nigerian-Czech made the selection public on his instagram page with the handle @yemialchemist, where he said, “Dear friends, I have never had bigger news than what I am honoured to share with you now. Today, I have been chosen to embark upon a journey like no other: A voyage around the Moon! I feel humbled, blessed, and beyond grateful for this unprecedented opportunity to represent my country, my people, my family, and all the creative dreamers around the world on the first civilian trip to the Moon in the history of mankind!
“Thank you to MZ and the dearMoon team for trusting me with this epic mission and for inviting me into your space family. I am committed to bringing everything I am and everything I have learned to support my fellow crew members on our mission. I promise to continue being my whole, genuine self, for my life story to date is a testament to the power of authenticity to change and shape lives. I will dare to listen, share, imagine, and create together!
“I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has aided me on this odyssey, whether through rooted support or simply enjoying this shared life experience together. I cherish the diversity of our community– a whole galaxy full of intersectional tribes, scenes, cultures, and movements– with one common thread that connects us all across time and place. Despite any and all adversity we have faced in our lives, we never stopped dreaming, imagining, and looking up.
“Please, I invite you to join me in this next chapter of my life and to imagine, together, what it could be…let’s use our combined love, power, and potential to create the world we want to live in and be a part of the change that will shape our future. My voyage to the MOON starts TODAY! 🧑🏾🚀🚀🌖,” Yemi A.D said in the post.
In a BBC report, Yemi A.D said that when billionaire Maezawa announced that he selected him as part of the 8-member crew in a zoom meeting, he screamed and began to dance, forgetting the billionaire entrepreneur was still online.
Yemi A.D also said he came from unfavourable conditions but to make the trip and go from nothing to visiting the moon is a huge encouragement for all the children he teaches. He vowed to continue to encourage them to fulfil their dreams and go on their very own missions.
He disclosed that he is afraid to go on the trip, and the fear would increase when before the rocket; however, the child explorer in him is stronger than the fear in his adult form, so he is looking forward to the trip.
The professional choreographer further noted that the trip is not solely about choreography because movement is beyond choreography, “Communication is beyond just words. It is everything. Disconnecting from gravity and being in extreme conditions but in a beautiful huge rocket will allow me to work on more than just dance choreography.”
Recall that on September 18, 2018, SpaceX’s Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, revealed that Maezawa (MZ), the founder of Japan’s largest online clothing retailer, Zozotown, will be the first private customer to ride around the Moon on the company’s rocket.
The billionaire MZ proceeded to buy all the seats in the Starship to visit the moon for a week and announced he would take artists from around the world with him to turn the ride into an art project called #dearMoon.
Announcing the list, MZ said, “I am happy to have these amazing people follow me on my journey to the moon. I am excited to see the creations they come up with in space.”
The 8-member crew is from a selection of one million people across 249 countries. According to the billionaire, the applicants were asked to send videos explaining what they wanted to accomplish in space. MZ said the videos he received were terrific and impressed him.
MZ also divulged that the journey to the moon would take three days; they would go around it and then spend three days to return to earth. He added that he is afraid but is more curious than scared and trusts Elon Musk, the SpaceX team, their technological prowess and teamwork.
Stating that the trip satisfies his curiosity and reminds him how incredible Earth is, MZ said, “I want to express my appreciation for this extraordinary planet we call home. I want to remind myself how small and insignificant I am. In space, I think I can realise how much more I have to experience, how much more I have to work and how much I can grow.”
Other members of the crew are;
USA’s Steve Aoki, born in Miami in 1977, is a two-time Grammy-nominated music producer, artist, fashion designer, entrepreneur, NFT futurist, and philanthropist.
Choi Seung Hyun, also known as TOP, is a South Korean rapper, multi-hyphenate musician, award-winning film actor, and an avid art collector born in 1987.
Rhiannon Adam, born in Cork, Ireland, in 1985, is a photographic artist who lives and works between London and US.
Tim Dodd is a content creator, photographer, videographer, and musician born in Iowa, United States, in 1985.
Karim Iliya, born in 1990 in the UK, is a photographer, filmmaker, and whale swimming guide who lives in Iceland and Hawaii.
Brenda Hall is a nature documentary filmmaker born in Connecticut, United States, and was born in 1994.
Dev D Joshi was born in India in 2000 and is a professional actor and social media influencer with over 18 years of experience in art and entertainment.
While the backup crew is made up of Kaitlyn Farrington, who is from Hailey, Idaho, was born in 1989 and fell in love with winter sports at a young age, and Miyu, a professional dancer, choreographer, and movement practitioner, who is from Japan and was born in 1997.
