Second Space Tourist to Visit ISS
Space Tourism 2 : Nasa 0
by Patrick Collins
For a reputed US$15 million, Mark Shuttleworth recently booked his place as the world’s second space tourist: he plans to fly to the Russian part of the International Space Station (ISS), currently being assembled in orbit. Shuttleworth, a 27-year old multi-millionaire from South Africa, is now in training at Russia’s ‘Star City'. His flight is scheduled for April 2002.
Nasa is said to be unlikely to try to stop the flight as did with Dennis Tito earlier this year. Presumably the huge public support that Tito received (said to be 80% of US citizens) has forced Nasa to realise that it will not win political support by continuing its all-too-visible war against space tourism.
However, Dan Goldin
, the agency’s administrator, has not changed his views, regardless of public opinion.
So, like Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth may need to watch out for last-minute ‘computer glitches’ and other dirty tricks as one of the last relics of the Cold War fights to preserve its monopoly.
Nasa is said to be unlikely to try to stop the flight as did with Dennis Tito earlier this year. Presumably the huge public support that Tito received (said to be 80% of US citizens) has forced Nasa to realise that it will not win political support by continuing its all-too-visible war against space tourism.
However, Dan Goldin
, the agency’s administrator, has not changed his views, regardless of public opinion. So, like Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth may need to watch out for last-minute ‘computer glitches’ and other dirty tricks as one of the last relics of the Cold War fights to preserve its monopoly.
