Project Cosmos: Billionaire's Groundbreaking $350M Megayacht Makes a Rare Appearance

That brief appearance is an excellent opportunity for another look at the megayacht, as it's bound to write history on several accounts once its owner takes delivery. Formerly known as Project 13759, it now goes by Project Cosmos as a tribute to its owner's space travel obsession. This also provides the most valuable clue as to the owner's identity, but more on that later.

Project Cosmos is one of the several (huge) builds now underway at luxury German shipyard Lurssen, and also among the largest in the world, at 375 feet (114.2 meters) in total length and an interior volume between 6,300 and 6,999 GT, depending on which source you believe. But what sets Project Cosmos apart is the fact that it's the first vessel from the yard to feature hybrid fuel cell tech, marking a first step towards sustainable cruising in this segment of the market.

Project Cosmos is, if you will, the way the world's richest people do sustainability. More than a passing whim, it marks a milestone for the industry, showing that sustainability and luxury can co-exist and paving the way for similar builds from other yards.

Late last month, Project Cosmos emerged from its shed in Rendsburg and was towed to its new destination, where it will undergo outfitting. The last time the gigantic vessel was seen afloat was in March 2023 at the technical launch, but it was only a bare hull at that point, offering very few clues as to its final look.

The latest appearance shows its almost-complete exterior painted white and offers a better chance to appreciate its size and future luxurious amenities.

And there will be plenty of those, rest assured. Photos of the megayacht show the observation pod on top of the superstructure, the helipad, and the generously sized aft deck with a large pool and an oblong cut that could possibly serve as a floating tender garage. Project Cosmos has an explorer-like profile that offers plenty of open deck space for lounging space and extra gear.

Despite its gargantuan size, Project Cosmos appears sleek due to its low profile: it only has four decks in total, so it sits close to the water. Other reported amenities will include a beauty room, a two-level glass atrium, and a private cinema, as well as exploring gear of all kinds.

The exterior and interior design of Project Cosmos is the work of Marc Newson, the industrial designer famous for his involvement in the Apple Watch. Newson has only one other credit for superyacht design, having penned the exterior of Solaris, the newest and most advanced superyacht of sanctioned businessman Roman Abramovich, built by Lloyd Werft. If the styling of Solaris is any indication, Project Cosmos will favor sleek, minimalist, and clean lines over curves and flourishes.

Project Cosmos will also favor green(er) propulsion, in what has been dubbed a concrete step towards more sustainable superyacht ownership. It won't guarantee completely emissions-free cruises, but it will pave the way to that, with hybrid propulsion featuring a methanol supply system that's at the heart of Lurssen's Marine Hybrid Cell Fuel System.

This System uses methanol to produce hydrogen and run the megayacht with low noise and zero-emission levels in certain conditions. When Lurssen introduced the technology a couple of years ago, it promised over 1,000 miles (1,609 km) of zero-emissions cruising at slow speeds or 15 nights at anchor, with the System capable of running all hotel functions with zero impact on the environment. That might not sound like a lot, but with a vessel this size, every little bit makes a difference.

Project Cosmos reportedly comes with a price tag of about $350 million, which is on par with what other billionaires have paid for similarly-sized megayachts and actually "cheap" if you consider the innovative tech onboard. Based on the two clues available, namely that the owner is a Japanese businessman and that the vessel was named for his passion for space travel, the direct beneficiary is believed to be Yusaku Maezawa.

If the name rings a bell, it must be because Maezawa was among the first wave of space tourists, struck a friendship of sorts with Elon Musk a while back, and then launched a reality show to find himself a girlfriend to accompany him to the Moon, in the most literal sense.

Maezawa is a colorful celebrity besides a savvy billionaire businessman, and if the report that he's also the owner of Project Cosmos checks out, he's also environmentally conscious – or enough so to spend $350 million of his almost $2 billion on a boat.

Project Cosmos is scheduled for delivery to the owner, Maezawa or not, in 2025. More details should emerge once it starts sea trials.