Russia reopened space tourism in 2013

Russia will reopen flights for space tourists with the Soyuz train in 2013.

In an announcement on January 12, Space Adventures, a Virginia-based company in the United States, affirmed that, starting in 2013, there will be three space tours each year on the ISS with Soyuz. of Russia.

The Russian Soyuz will be the only means to make flights to the ISS Station
from April this year.(Photo: Internet)

The company said it had signed contracts with the Russian Space Agency and a state-owned company, Energia, to get the right to trade these flights.

Flights can begin in 2013 when Russia plans to increase production of Soyuz vessel compartments from 4 to 5 per year. The move will allow an increase in the number of annual flights of the Soyuz.

The first cosmonaut was Denis Tito, who flew to the ISS Station in 2011. The last known cosmonaut is Canadian billionaire Guy Laliberte. He returned to Earth in October 2009 after an 11-day flight. Before that, there were 7 tourists who made trips to space.

Laliberte did not disclose the cost of the tour, however, the previous guest, Charles Simonyi, the US software pioneer paid $ 35 million for his flight.

Since Laliberte's flight, the Russian side has begun stopping Soyuz flights for individuals. At the same time, NASA is preparing to end the mission of the shuttle.

As planned, in April, NASA will make the space shuttle's last flight into space. After that, Russia's Soyuz will be the only spacecraft to make flights to the ISS Station.