Posted on 07/26/2003 7:24:47 AM PDT by knighthawk
US firm Space Adventures is potentially interested in buying a Russian Soyuz space craft to make tourist flights to the International Space Station (ISS), ITAR-TASS quoted the company's chief as saying.
The Arlington, Virgina-based firm, which brokered the first two tourist space flights in 2001 and 2002, has signed a contract with the Russian space agency Rosaviakosmos to fly two more tourists to the ISS in 2004-2005.
Eric Anderson, chief executive officer, told the news agency in Los Angeles that Space Adventures was keen to send the two space tourists on board one spaceship accompanied by a professional astronaut.
They even considered the possibility of buying a Soyuz spaceship.
Mr Andersen said negotiations on the general issue are underway, but it was not clear what the outcome of the talks would be.
A Russian space agency official said earlier this week that Russia could build and sell a Soyuz craft to a private company offering tourists flights but only for a very high price.
"We can sell a spaceship - they have to understand, however, that it will cost not $20 million or $40 million dollars, but much more," Rosaviakosmos spokesman Sergei Gorbunov said.
"Russia may build a Soyuz outside the ISS program.
"This technical possibility exists, but we have not discussed anything yet or received any offers," he said.
The Russian space official also said that it was possible that the two future tourists could fly up to the orbiting space station on a single Soyuz, leaving just one seat for a professional astronaut on the three-person craft.
The asking price for a 10-day visit to the ISS is around $20 million, a sum only two space tourists - Californian businessman Dennis Tito and South Africa Internet millionaire Mark Shuttleworth - have so far been willing to pay.
Both tourists jaunts were organised by Space Adventures.
Russia and the United States, the major partners in the 16-nation ISS project, have clashed in the past over Moscow's keenness to raise money for its cash-strapped space program by selling tourist tickets to the ISS.
Russia sends Soyuz rockets to the ISS every six months on so-called "taxi missions".
I have no issue with the Russians raising cash from selling rides on the Soyuz to space tourist. But once the tourist enters the ISS, which is a joint project between the US, the Russian Federation and fourteen other nations, there must be an agreement by the US and the other partners to have these guests.
The US is the senior partner in the ISS paying most of the cost. We should have the right to refuse to play host to these tourist.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.