The Space Frontier Foundation praised NASA and its International Space Station partners today for permitting U.S. citizen Dennis Tito to board Space Station Alpha as a Citizen Explorer, when he arrives there by Russian Soyuz rocket next month.
Calling NASA’s agreement with the Russians “historic,” the Foundation
urged
the ISS partners to use it as a basis for setting permanent standards
for
others to visit the station. Foundation President Rick Tumlinson
explained,
“there is now no reason a slow but steady stream of visitors shouldn’t
follow him over the next few years, as the station is completed.”
Tito, who paid $20 million to fly to the Russian commercial station Mir,
lost
that flight when Russia de-orbited Mir in February. To honor Tito’s
contract
with the Russians, Energia, the firm operating Russian elements of the
International Space Station, is flying him on a spare seat aboard a
Soyuz
“taxi” flight to Alpha. After recent negotiations with the Russians,
NASA
permitted Tito to board the ISS as the first non-astronaut visitor. The
Foundation supports this effort and believes Alpha partners should be
able to
engage in a wide variety of commercial activities, including private
citizen visits.
“As far as we are concerned,” stated Tumlinson, “whatever agreements
were
reached and signed by the parties in this case set a legal minimum for
visitors.” He continued, “by letting him fly, they are admitting space
is
safe enough for ‘normal folks’ as long as strict training, safety and
insurance standards are met.”
“I am sure many in government want this to be a one-shot affair, but
that
would be naïve and very short-sighted,” said Tumlinson. “They have a
huge
opportunity before them. This is not about Mr. Tito, but about the
relationship between the space agencies and the people who fund them.”
He
concluded: “Now begins the next step – nurturing public space travel by
clearing the way for those who want to follow him through the airlock.”
For more information on the Foundation, call 1-(800) 78-SPACE. Visit
our
website, www.Space-Frontier.org. Our e-mail address is:
information@space-frontier.org.
