Posted: Fri, Nov 1, 2002, 5:26 AM ET (1026 GMT)
The next tourist to fly on a Soyuz taxi flight to the International Space Station may be Russian, according to the head of the Russian space agency Rosaviakosmos. Yuri Koptev told reporters after the launch Wednesday of Soyuz TMA-1 that Rosaviakosmos had already selected a number of affluent Russian citizens as potential tourists. Koptev did not disclose any names, nor how one would be selected and at what cost. In September Russian sources reported that Sergei Polonsky, head of Atlas Aerospace, had started space flight training. Koptev said that he viewed space tourism as a "promising area" and one that was necessary to provide the agency with additional revenues required to continue operations.

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•  Interfax article