[nukkad] Space tourist may cost Russia millions

["A.Shrivastava" <>]

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Space tourist may cost Russia millions 
 
   




By PAUL RECER, Associated Press 

WASHINGTON (May 2, 2001 9:32 p.m. EDT) - The Russian
hosts of history's first paid space tourist may end up
having to pay for his trip, because he got the trip
the "wrong way," the chief of NASA said Wednesday. 

NASA administrator Daniel Goldin told a House
subcommittee that Dennis Tito, a California tycoon who
ignored the objections of NASA and paid Russia $20
million to fly him to the International Space Station,
has caused anxiety among space workers who oversee the
mission's safety. 

"The current situation has put an incredible stress on
the men and women of NASA," Goldin told the committee.
"Mr. Tito does not realize the effort of thousands of
people, United States and Russia, who are working to
protect his safety and the safety of everyone else." 

Tito was launched over the weekend with two Russian
crewmates aboard a Soyuz spacecraft and boarded the
space station Monday for a six-day stay. 

Russia had accepted $20 million to fly Tito to the Mir
space station but switched him to the International
Space Station after the Mir was junked and dumped into
the ocean. 

NASA and other partners in the space station objected
to Tito's plans, claiming the Californian was not
properly trained and the station was not ready for
amateur space trippers. 

NASA also objected to Russia selling tourist trips
without the agreement of the other space station
partners. An agreement was finally reached, but Goldin
said Wednesday it may be costly for the Russians. 

"In our agreement that we worked out with the Russians
we will do an assessment and ... get a reimbursement,
I want to assure you," said Goldin. 

Considering lost research time, extra safety measures
and other expenses forced on NASA, a congressman
suggested the cost could be more than the $20 million
that Tito paid. Goldin said he would "reserve
judgment" on the amount but promised to report it to
the committee. 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
chief praised another rich Californian yearning to fly
in space - Oscar-winning movie director James Cameron
- for deciding to delay his trip until the space
station is ready for tourists. 

In what he called a "contrast" with Tito, Goldin said
Cameron was "an American patriot who understood how to
do this." 

Cameron, who won the Academy Award for best director
in 1997 for the film "Titanic," approached him six
months ago and asked about going into space, said
Goldin, but was told the station program wasn't yet
accepting tourists. 

Goldin quoted Cameron as saying: "I am going to wait
until the partners work things out and then go at an
appropriate time, and I'll even train." Goldin said
Cameron understood "what is the right way and the
wrong way to do things." 

NASA does not oppose trips by nonprofessional
astronauts when the station is ready, he said. 

"We think there is a place for researchers, educators,
artists and other people to go into space," he said. 



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