Cirque du Soleil boss outlines space visit plans

Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté says his coming "social mission" in space is a chance for him to champion water issues while entertaining the world with an unprecedented "planetary artistic event."

Laliberté, 50, will become Canada's first space tourist when he blasts off from Earth on Sept. 30 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft heading to the International Space Station.

The Quebec billionaire, who is calling himself a "private space explorer," revealed more details of his mission via webcast from Moscow on Wednesday.

"This artistic mission permits me to raise awareness of water issues," he said in the webcast. "I imagine my mission to use artistic form to evoke and touch people.

"I imagine my mission as a poetic tale that could last even after I touch back on Earth."

His mission will climax Oct. 9, when he will orchestrate a worldwide event involving celebrities on five continents, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki, Brazilian culture minister Gilberto Gil, astronaut Julie Payette and performers Peter Gabriel, Shakira and U2, among others.

"We will travel the world unveiling a poetic tale through the voices of personalities," Laliberté said. "We will also be presenting performances linked to water, as a source of life."

Canadian author Yann Martel helped Laliberté create the poetic tale, which is inspired by fairy tales, and will star "the moon, the sun and a drop of water."

Laliberté chose water as his cause because it is "a source of life" and "a source of humanitarian crises facing us today." He told reporters he may wear a red clown nose when he blasts off.

He paid nearly $35 million to Russia’s space agency for a chance to fly on the spacecraft. During his mission he’ll meet Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, who is working at the station for six months.