Third 'Space Tourist' Blasts Off Into Space

auckland map writes "A Russian Soyuz rocket has lifted off from the Central Asian steppes, launching U.S. millionaire scientist Gregory Olsen and a new Russian-U.S. crew on a two-day journey to the international space station. Olsen is reportedly paying $20 million for this trip." From the article: "The cash-strapped Russian Federal Space Agency has turned to space tourism to generate money. Olsen is the third non-astronaut to visit the orbiting station. California businessman Dennis Tito paid about $20 million for a week long trip to the space station in 2001, and South African Mark Shuttleworth followed a year later."

Comments

Proud of the Russians

[bogaboga]

> "The cash-strapped Russian Federal Space Agency has turned to space tourism to generate money."

"...Meanwhile, the American cash filled Space Agency (NASA) is still unable to put men into space...even after billions of dollars have been spent!"

To me, we Americans still do not get it! Clearly, of the two space agencies, one of them is doing or getting it right. Can we say it is we the Americans? I doubt, but stand to be corrected.

non-astronaut??

[interactive_civilian]

From TFSummary:

Olsen is the third non-astronaut to visit the orbiting station.

Stop me if I am wrong, but doesn't "astronaut" mean "space traveler"? How does this make him a non-astronaut?

Or is it because, since he went up with the Russians, he is a "Cosmonaut"?

Seriously, this guy is going up there and doing some science, rather than just hanging out for the ride. He must have gone through some training in order to be able to go, regardless of the money he spent.

So, unless by "non-astronaut" you mean "cosmonaut", you are insulting the man, rather unfairly IMHO.