This article was first published in the January 2016 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.

Michael Najjar is on a mission: to be the first artist in space. "Space travel has been a lifelong fascination," says the German photographer, 49. "Now fiction has become reality."

Najjar's outer space series began when he was photographing the final shuttle launch, Atlantis, in 2011.

"I realised that working on the topic of space travel meant flying into space myself," he says. With backing from three collectors, he bought a seat on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, and has been photographing his preparation -- including high-g training and a rare look inside Russia's Star City astronaut training facility.

"It took a year to convince them," says Najjar.

The series will show at New York's Benrubi Gallery in March 2016, and is intended to culminate with Najjar's own space flight.

This article was originally published by WIRED UK