Space tourist heads for the ISS

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4298814.stm

 

The third space tourist ever has launched in a Soyuz and is headed for a 10-day stay at the ISS.

 

I think this again is going to spark a lot of debate among space-program skeptics, saying that "if all we're doing is flying tourists, what's the point of the ISS?" Frankly I don't know if NASA should be a tourist destination. It would be rather entertaining to have a billionaire on a Mars flight, but I don't know why they wasted cargo space on a dinky Soyuz just because someone forked over enough money.

 

Opinions?

[drochaid]

Space travel is phenominally expensive and the US government [and many others round the world] seem to consider it a financial-boom investment only. If they can bring in funds by catering for rich tourists then good on them, this could be exactly what is required to get corporates into the space program and finally some more rapid development. We haven't moved very far in the last 40 years after all!

[CPL.Luke]

the tourists give their money to the russian space agency

 

Basicly russia bought a certain number of seats on the ISS, if they have a seat for a specific date and no reason to send a cosmonaut up they will sell the seat to a tourist. NASA doesn't do tourism.

[Rasori]

Luke, is that because NASA doesn't do tourism or because the Russians are doing it for cheaper? I haven't inquired personally...