Space Adventures Offers Earthlings the Chance to Be Space Cadets

Russia’s space agency in Moscow has announced the signing of a contract with American millionaire Gregory Olsen to visit the international space station. Olsen, founder of a firm that makes infrared cameras, had originally been scheduled to make his flight this past April, but the trip had to be halted when doctors in Russia discovered a health problem that needed to be treated before he could go. A Russian agency spokesman said that the trip may be rescheduled as early as October, when a supply mission is planned to be carried out. The deal, reported to have cost $20 million, would make the 60-year old Olsen only the third private citizen to travel to the space station. The previous space travelers were American Dennis Tito and South African Mark Shuttleworth.

All three of the tourist rides have been brokered by Space Adventures, Ltd., which is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with an office in Moscow. Calling itself the world’s "leading space experiences company," Space Adventures offers a variety of programs in addition to space flights, including Zero Gravity, MiG flights, cosmonaut training, space flight qualification programs, and reservations on future suborbital spacecrafts. The company's advisory board is made up of Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin; Skylab astronaut Owen Garriott; and shuttle astronauts Kathy Thornton, Robert (Hoot) Gibson, Charles Walker, Norm Thagard, Sam Durrance and Byron Lichtenber. The company’s website suggests numerous reasons for enrolling in any of the Space Adventures flight programs:

• Live the experience of a lifetime and create memories that you will always cherish
  
• Invest in the future of spaceflight
  
• Earn the respect and admiration of your colleagues and your country
  
• Conduct experiments aboard the most advanced and unique laboratory ever constructed
  
• Be one of the first 500 people ever to go into space
  
• Achieve worldwide celebrity status
  
• Inspire the next generation of space explorers

The company was recognized by the Virginia Chamber of Commerced as one of the state’s "Fantastic Fifty" at the Chamber’s annual awards banquet. Upon receiving the award, president and CEO of Space Adventures, Eric Anderson, thanked the Chamber by saying, "Since our inception in 1998, we have been diligently working to open the space frontier to private citizens. Just yesterday marked the third anniversary of Dennis Tito's pioneer flight and what a milestone that is, not only for Space Adventures, but for all explorers around the world." He continued, "Through our efforts, two private space tourists, Mr. Tito and Mark Shuttleworth, have flown to the International Space Station and currently, Greg Olsen, Ph.D., is training at the Yuri Gagarin Training Center in Star City, Russia with his expedition scheduled for April 2005. Every year, we, at Space Adventures, continue to learn and grow as company with our eyes transfixed on the stars!

According to their website, Space Adventures is the only company in the world currently operating commercial orbital spaceflight and will be the first to launch clients using a new breed of lower cost suborbital spacecraft currently under development worldwide.

Whether your desire is to conduct science experiments, achieve what few have done before, or simply enjoy the feeling of weightlessness while taking in the spectacular view, Space Adventures gives you the opportunity to discover one of life’s greatest secrets: the wonders of space.