Speaking two days after he landed back on Earth, the 60-year-old American millionaire whose space tour sparked a bitter row between NASA and the Russian space agency cast himself as a role model for other rich amateur astronauts.

"Money is relative. For me it has been a life's dream. Unfortunately life is short. I hope this will be an inspiration to others," Tito told a press conference at the House of Cosmonauts in Russian's Star City.

"If it was available for me, I would have stayed up there for months. It's going to be interesting getting back to the United States, and seeing what interest exists among others to want to make similar flights," he added.

Dressed in a blue jumper suit, with the American flag stitched on one side, Tito glossed over the row with NASA over Russia's decision to sell him the 20-million-dollar ticket in the first place.

"I hope that NASA realises that this is beneficial" for the space programme, "and that a qualified civilian should be allowed to fly space missions," he said.

"My advice to anyone who wants to fly into space, who obviously has the financial resources to do so, is that they should start work on the physical training immediately.

"Have patience, set the goal, even if it takes two, three, four, five or even 10 years. Set the goal and you will get there in the end," said the American businessman, who was flanked by the two Russian cosmonauts who accompanied him to the ISS.

The success of Tito's mission has prompted US fears that Russia will intensify efforts to underwrite its cash-strapped space programme by blasting other rich tourists into the cosmos.

However, the Russian space agancy dismissed reports Tuesday that at least two successors, notably "Titanic" movie director James Cameron, were lined up to emulate Tito's feat within the next two years.

In a sometimes emotional press conference, the world's first space tourist described his visit to the ISS as "very euphoric and profound."

"I have spent 60 years on Earth and I spent eight days in space. From my viewpoint it was two separate lives," he said.

"The part that stands out were the nightly conversations on a ham radio link to my family," the visibly moved Californian millionaire went on. "The most profound moment was when I talked to both my children."

Tito said he was only just getting used to his new-found celebrity, adding that he hoped people would see him as "a serious man who had a dream, who pursued it in the face of huge difficuties."

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US space tourist Tito lands back on Earth after trip to "paradise"
Near Arkalyk (AFP) May 6, 2001
Space tourist Dennis Tito landed back on Earth early Sunday, when a Soyuz TM-31 vessel carrying the US millionaire and two Russian cosmonauts touched down in the desert of Kazakhstan. The touchdown, which occurred at 0535 GMT, six minutes ahead of schedule, went without hitches, ending Tito's historic eight-day holiday in space, Russian space officials told AFP

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