Posted: Wed, Jun 18, 2003, 10:55 AM ET (1455 GMT)
The Russian space agency Rosaviakosmos and two companies are expected to announce Wednesday an agreement that could allow tourists to fly on Soyuz missions to the International Space Station as early as next fall. The agreement between Rosaviakosmos, RSC Energia, and Space Adventures is expected to be announced Wednesday in New York, according to reports by the New York Times and SPACE.com. The agreement would allow tourists to fly either in the third seat of twice-yearly Soyuz taxi flights to the International Space Station, or on a dedicated "tourist flight" to the station in addition to the normal Soyuz taxi flights. Two tourists, American Dennis Tito and South African Mark Shuttleworth, made such flights in April 2001 and April 2002 respectively, but tourist flights have been on hold in the wake of the Columbia accident and the resulting need to use the Soyuz to ferry crews to and from the station. The next two Soyuz flights, scheduled for October 2003 and April 2004, will carry ESA astronauts in the third seat. No tourist candidates have been identified, although Space Adventures officials say that there are at least ten people interested in flying and in various stages of preparation.

Related Links:

•  New York Times article
•  SPACE.com article