US, Russia Do Deal For More Space Tourists

SPACE TRAVEL

US, Russia Do Space Tourist Deal

Following Dennis Tito's trailblazing flight to the space station earlier this year, NASA has bowed to the inevitable and is now prepared to allow additional space tourists to visit the station

Washington (AFP) Aug 10, 2001
The United States and Russia have agreed to allow more "space tourists" to visit the orbiting International Space Station, The Washington Post said Friday.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Russian space agency have drafted criteria setting standards for "space flight participants," as the space visitors are to be called, said the daily quoting Yuri Koptev, director of the Russian space agency.

Some friction developed between the two space agencies when Russia allowed 60-year-old California millionaire Dennis Tito to spend a week's vacation aboard the ISS in early May for a fee of nearly 20 million dollars (22 million euros).

NASA opposed the idea of allowing inexperienced people aboard the space shuttle and the ISS for safety and operational reasons, while Moscow saw nothing wrong in providing its cash-strapped space agency with a novel source of funds.

"We have drawn a line in relations with our American and other partners and this problem is now a thing of the past," Koptev was quoted as saying by the daily.

A NASA spokeswoman said details of the agreement would not be made public until it is signed, which Koptev said should happen this month or in early September.

But according to the daily, the agreement called for space tourists to pass a series of requirements, undergo physical training, demonstrate foreign language ability, and meet a "personal suitability" test.

SPACE TRAVEL

South African Could Fly To Iss In April: Russian Space Chief

Moscow (AFP) Aug 09, 2001
South African millionaire Mark Shuttleworth, who wants to become the world's next "space tourist," could make his flight onboard a Russian craft as early as April, the head of the Russian space agency said on Thursday.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.