Daisuke Enomoto Japanese entrepreneur who runs the internet company Livedoor Date of Birth: 22.04.1971 Country: Japan

1. Daisuke Enomoto: Japanese Entrepreneur and Aspiring Space Traveler
2. Training at Star City and the Anticipated Departure
3. Potential Milestones in Japanese Space History
4. Medical Concerns and the Shift in Plans

Daisuke Enomoto: Japanese Entrepreneur and Aspiring Space Traveler

Daisuke Enomoto, a renowned Japanese entrepreneur and CEO of the successful Internet company Livedoor, made history as the first Japanese civilian to train as a cosmonaut. He aspired to become the fourth space tourist.

Training at Star City and the Anticipated Departure

In preparation for his historic journey, Enomoto underwent rigorous training at Star City, a facility in Russia. He aimed to depart for the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft in September 2006, becoming the first private astronaut from both Japan and Asia.

Potential Milestones in Japanese Space History

If Enomoto's flight had taken place, he would have become the seventh Japanese astronaut in history. Moreover, he would have been the second Japanese to travel to space aboard a Soviet-Russian Soyuz spacecraft, following in the footsteps of Toyohiro Akiyama, who flew to the Mir space station in 1990.

Medical Concerns and the Shift in Plans

However, just three weeks before the scheduled launch, Enomoto was medically disqualified from the Soyuz TMA-9 mission. His American-Iranian counterpart, Anousheh Ansari, stepped in as his replacement. Enomoto's dreams of becoming a space explorer were put on hold due to unforeseen health reasons.