Space Tourism Mini-Boom

Transcendent writes "Russia sent up the second space tourist today. Mark Shuttleworth, a 28 year old computer entrepeneur from South-Africa , was launched up at around 2:22am (EDT) on the Russian Soyuz TM-34 shuttle for $20 million. He'll be spending 8 days upon the ISS in hopes to combat the spread of AIDs in Africa. Catch the (pre-launch) stories at reuters and spacedaily, and the (post-launch) story at CNN with bonus Tito quotes. Not only is he the second space-tourist, but the first African to go into space. It also seems that NASA is accepting the tourism a little more this time."

Comments

First African In Space

[storem]

A lot of information is to be found at the First African In Space website. The are also a lot of pre-launch images in their photo gallery as well as more info on Thawte's founder Mark Shuttleworth.

NASA can't complain too much

[hij]

It also seems that NASA is accepting the tourism a little more this time.

NASA is stepping up their program to put educators in space. As they do this it will be harder to complain about other civilians in space. Their earlier complaints about the Russians putting up a civilian were a bit of a public relations disaster anyway. (IMHO)

Re:Profitability?

[DutchSter]

Supposedly when Tito went, he paid his expenses. They would not let someone go up at a dead loss to them. Depending on how/when they go up, the incremental cost of an additional person may just be in terms of food consumed, and fuel. IIRC, the Russians frequently send up shuttles with less than the full capacity. If the shuttle is going anyway, and there's an empty seat, actual launch costs wouldn't be that much more. As for training, basically all he got was physical conditioning and a good lecture on DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.