International

Second space tourist takes off

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW APRIL 25 . Russia today launched the world's second space tourist into orbit in another step to make space tourism a booming industry. The South African businessman, Mark Shuttleworth, blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz TM-34 spacecraft, which also carried the Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gidzenko, and the Italian Air Force pilot, Roberto Vittori.

The spacecraft will dock with the International Space Station on Saturday.

The visiting crew will return to earth 10 days later in another Soyuz spacecraft, which has served as an ISS lifeboat over the past six months.

American financier, Dennis Tito, was the first space tourist last May.

Each is reported to have paid about $20 millions for the flight.

Last month Russia unveiled a prototype of a tourist shuttle spacecraft that will offer suborbital short trips for about $100,000 only.

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