30/04/2001
The Russian spacecraft "Soyuz", carrying the first space tourist, the millionaire
The American Dennis Tito successfully docked at the space station today (Monday).
the international. Yesterday, the American space agency, NASA, announced that
The crew of the "Endeavor" shuttle completed their mission at the station and left
Tito: "I have adapted completely; I love the space"
The International Space Station, yesterday, after the departure of the American shuttle "Endeavour"
The Russian Soyuz spacecraft, carrying the first space tourist, American millionaire Dennis Tito, successfully docked today (Monday) at the International Space Station. Yesterday, the American space agency, NASA, announced that the shuttle crew "Endeavor" completed their mission at the station and left it, thus allowing the "Soyuz" to dock at the station at the scheduled time.
About an hour and a half after docking, Tito and the two Russian cosmonauts moved from "Soyuz" to the space station through the lift tunnel. "A great trip," Tito said in a broadcast from the space station, "I have no idea what the adaptation process is they're talking about. I've adapted completely. I love space."
The launch of the first space tourist was made possible after two months of talks and conflicts between the Russian space agency and the American space agency, due to NASA's refusal to allow the flight. According to estimates, Tito will pay 20 million dollars for the flight. Tito will return to Earth on the 6 May
Tito, a resident of Southern California, became interested in the field of space as a child, and began his career as an aeronautical engineer in a company related to NASA. Tito was disappointed with the position and joined the business world. He opened an independent capital investment fund. One of the largest and strongest investment funds in the US, which handles the buying and selling of shares in a total amount of approximately 500 billion dollars. Tito's fortune was about 200 million.
NASA tried to thwart the visit
According to this agreement, Tito was supposed to stay in space for seven days and even visit the Russian Mir space station. After the Russians decided to destroy Mir Tito agreed with the Moscow authorities that he would be launched to the International Space Station.
But after the agreement in principle, NASA began to act to thwart the plan. "April is a very tense month for the space station, which is in the process of construction, for the completion of which several more months are needed," said a senior NASA official. "The presence of an unprofessional person, who is not familiar with the complicated technological means at the station, who is unable to handle problems at the station if and when they arise, not least the presence of a person who needs to be monitored all the time, will greatly complicate life at the station," said the announcement published by the agency. The US position was also joined by Canada, Japan and some of the European countries that are partners in operating the station.
The Russians refused to give up, and in response four cosmonauts who trained together with Tito went on a protest strike. Tito announced that he feels 100 percent ready for the flight, and boasted that today he is able to assemble a spacesuit in just 25 seconds. Moscow claimed that Washington opposes the launch only because it is an American citizen who signed such a unique contract with Russia, and only after long international contacts and mutual threats was the flight of the first tourist into space possible. Tito agreed to finance any damage caused to the equipment on the space station. The Director of the Russian Space Agency, Yuri Kopetev, expressed his satisfaction with the conclusion yesterday. Tito did not abandon his business sense even before take off. "I want to show the world that it is possible. More and more people need to take an example from me and fly into space, and then the price for such a flight will also decrease."
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