We Could Soon See the First Openly Gay Man in Space
An astronomy photographer could become the first openly gay man to travel to space as early as 2023. Jon Carmichael is a speaker, sport pilot, and self-taught astronomy photography artist whose career started at age 20 and who quickly became one of the youngest high-profile photographers in the world. Jon has worked with President Barack Obama, Lady Gaga, and the Dalai Lama.
He is most well-known for his photographic work entitled “108” of the Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017, which Jon shot from a Southwest Airlines flight timed to be in the exact spot, at the precise time, to capture a full solar eclipse and the shadow on the ground below. Jon has received international acclaim for this incredible photograph.
Now Jon has set his sights on an epic space travel experience. Jon is attempting to be the first openly gay man to travel to space.
The dearMoon Project, #dearmooncrew is a civilian space mission earmarked for 2023. SpaceX, a rocket developed by Elon Musk, will carry its passengers on a week-long journey past the moon, further away from earth than anyone has ever gone before, then return home.
In 2018, Japanese fashion entrepreneur and billionaire Yusaku Maezawa (aka MZ) purchased all of the seats onboard this mission. MZ has expressed his desire to see the earth from the same perspective as we routinely see the moon from earth. In March 2021, MZ, who is also a globally renowned art collector who believes art has the power to promote world peace, announced that eight (8) crew members, consisting of civilians, including artists, would apply and be selected to join him along with two (2) astronauts for good measure!
As ‘Gay Travel’ reports, inclusivity and diversity are two hallmarks and priorities of the dearMoon Project. MZ's vision is to bring artists who hail from around the world and ask them to create masterpieces depicting the experience of the journey in a way that will inspire others. During the flight, the artists will be encouraged to create art that includes their interactions and candid moments. The art will later be exhibited to help promote peace across our world.
When Jon first heard of this exciting mission over two years ago, he remembers the exact spot where he was standing -- alone in his 300-square foot apartment in Manhattan. He’ll never forget it because he immediately dropped to the floor, bawling his eyes out. He was so emotional. He would never have thought when he was younger, playing with his rockets -- and dreaming of what it would be like to see earth the way we see the moon -- that it would be possible and that a civilian could go to space. That was pure sci-fi (but not for MZ)!
In that very moment, Jon realised it was now real, and he knew with every fiber of his being that he would be one of the right candidates and that this was meant to be. Jon understood the impact the mission would have on the world. He believes so much in this unifying project that he wants to support the mission however he can. Gay Travel feels the same way, and we want to assist Jon by harnessing the power of gay travelers everywhere to support him as he follows his passion beyond the ends of the earth.
For Jon Carmichael, the stars are aligning, and his lifelong vision of experiencing what it would be like to see the earth from the moon the same way in which we see the moon from the earth is a dream that -- slowly but surely -- is coming into his orbit.
Jon has taken one small step towards his mission to be a part of something bigger by making the 3rd step for the dearMoon Project. He manifests his humility when he attributes the role serendipity has in all of this.
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