I blabber a lot about space on this blog and it’s not just because I’m a nutter. I truly believe that there’s a lot to be had from humanity having the ability to establish itself off this gorgeous blue marble of ours, and I want everyone to be aware of how important that is. Alas, my voice only reaches so many at the moment but I know I’m having some sort of impact on you guys so it’s not time wasted at all. You can then imagine my excitement when someone as famous as the creator of Cirque Du Soleil Guy Laliberte has bought himself a ticket to the International Space Station not only promoting space travel but also championing the cause of the ONE DROP foundation, which he himself founded:
Former circus performer Guy Laliberte, the founder of Cirque du Soleil, expects to have some fun when he launches to space Wednesday, but also has serious side to his self-proclaimed “poetic social mission.”
Laliberte, a 50-year-old former acrobat and the first Canadian space tourist, is headed for the International Space Station and has dedicated his flight to publicizing global water issues through a creative performance to be broadcast from orbit.
“We’re doing a multimedia event – the first one from space to Earth – including artists from all over the world talking about the situation of water,” Laliberte said.
The soon-to-be space clown is set to fly on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Laliberte booked his trip with the Russian Federal Space Agency through the U.S. firm Space Adventures and is reportedly paying about $35 million for the spaceflight. Liftoff is set for 3:14 a.m. EDT (0714 GMT) Wednesday.
It is such a boon to have someone like him flying to the ISS. Whilst every other space participant has been a celebrity in their own right it would be suffice to say that they aren’t nearly as well renowned as Guy Laliberte. Having him fly up there and doing a live show for the world is something that will capture the attention of millions, and hopefully, ignite that childlike spark of imagination in everyone that aspires to things that seem so far out of reach.
By the time this post hits the air he will already be up in space, orbiting us and enjoying a view that only a select few have been privileged to see first hand. I wish him all the best, and godspeed. Your mere presence in space does more than a million blog posts ever would.
