Russia backs space tourist

Russia's space authorities have confirmed US billionaire Dennis Tito as a crew member for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) later in April.

A committee at the headquarters of Russia's space programme said on Wednesday that it had decided to go ahead with the recommendation of Mr Tito as a crew member.

Sixty-year-old Tito, who founded an investment firm, is said by Russian sources to be paying $20 million (£14 million) for the trip.

"I've had this dream so long, it's hard to believe we're within a couple of weeks of achieving it," Mr Tito told a news conference. "I am quite confident that it will be an enjoyable flight," he said.

Mr Tito's fellow cosmonauts are commander Talgat Musabayev and engineer Yuri Baturin.

US objections

It is not clear whether Mr Tito will actually be able to board the ISS. His presence on the station has so far been opposed by the US space agency, NASA.

Cosmonauts Musabayev and Baturin boycotted a day of training in the United States in March in protest at a US decision not to allow Mr Tito access to training there.

If he is allowed to fly, Mr Tito will start final preparations with the other cosmonauts on 16 April, travel to the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 23 April and launch on 28 April.

'Competent specialist'

Talgat Musabayev said that Mr Tito would be a full member of the team. "Tito is a very competent specialist and a good engineer," he said. The crew are due to spend around a week aboard the ISS.

Dennis Tito was originally planning to fly to the Mir space station before it was ditched into the Pacific in March. His fellow cosmonauts speak English and he is reported to have learnt some technical terms in Russian.

********* For fans of the movie Contact: Shades of Mr. Hadden, eh!

-- Rich (howe9@shentel.net), April 11, 2001