- Sputnik International
Russia
The latest news and stories from Russia. Stay tuned for updates and breaking news on defense, politics, economy and more.

OLSEN'S TRIP TO OUTER SPACE MIGHT BE CANCELLED

Subscribe

MOSCOW, May 27 (RIA Novosti) - The trip of the third space tourist Gregory Olsen to the ISS will probably not take place in October 2005, announced head of Roskosmos Anatoly Perminov in an interview with RIA Novosti. "There are several reasons for that, including the fact that launches of American space shuttles are constantly postponed," he said.

"The third place on board of Russian spaceship Soyuz is still vacant," Perminov added.

At the same time, the head of Roskosmos pointed out that the potential "tourist No. 3," Gregory Olsen, who had previously underwent a medical examination at the Russian Institute for Medical and Biological Studies and failed the medical check-up, passed another examination and had been approved by doctors.

"We took all precautions. He passed an independent medical examination in London and at present he is getting ready for the space trip in Zvyozdny Gorodok," Perminov said.

The candidate for space tourist, 59-year-old American millionaire Gregory Olsen was supposed to go on a week-long trip on board the Russian spaceship Soyuz in April 2005, accompanied by two astronauts during the scheduled change of the permanent ISS crew (conducted twice a year).

The first space tourist on board the ISS was Italian national Dennis Tito, who spent a week on board the station in 2001 having paid $20 million for the trip. The second tourist was South African millionaire Mark Shuttleworth, who paid the same amount for the trip to the ISS in 2002.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала