2nd Space Tourist To Visit ISS In April 2002

Anonymous Coward writes "Another continent is represented in space: It has just been announced that Thawte founder Mark Shuttleworth is in the final stages of securing a seat on the next Soyuz launch in April. Press Release says he plans to do a lot of Science up there, with a whole bundle of other stuff. SpaceDaily seems to have broken it first of the commercial news, haven't seen it anywhere else yet. Go, Africa, Go! (Oh, and he reads Slashdot religiously ... Good Luck Mark!)" Looks like it's getting cheaper, too. I think it's time for a Slashdot staff meeting in space...

Comments

Rich People and Space

[NatePWIII]

If all these rich people have all this money and power, why don't they work together and build themselves a "privatized" space station and space program, so they can stop abusing the government funded ones that cost us taxpayers billions of dollars to put up. Lets get real if Bill Gates and some of his richer buddies got together on an idea like this they could probably have an even more impressive "space hotel" than the ISS, I wouldn't doubt it, and their own shuttle to go with it (seating for 30).
I say let the rich people build their own space program if what they want are "vacations and joy rides".
Come to think of it why doesn't Microsoft with all its money not dabble more in the communication industry, particularily satellites and other space ventures, if they really want to be innovative I think this is where its at...