The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, will send the first space tourist to the orbit “within the next two years”, the agency’s head, Igor Komarov, said.
“I believe, within the next two years [the first tourist will fly to the orbit],” he said. “The time to prepare a flight of the kind takes not a week or a month. It will take more than a year.”
Komarov said Russia will develop the project together with foreign counterparts, though he refused to name them, Rbth.com reported.
“I think, we shall talk about it before the end of the year,” he said. “We have requests from very serious counterparts, the industrial counterparts those who work in the sphere of space and produce space equipment.”
The official said the plan is as follows: “Before the end of the year, we shall have talks, then we sign an agreement and reach detailed plans.” Komarov noted that western-imposed sanctions, led by the US, do not affect cooperation with NASA, the European Space Agency or other European and American companies in space programs.
In June, the official said Roscosmos may join foreign counterparts to organize a project to take tourists into space.
At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Komarov talked about growing interest from those who can afford flights to the International Space Station and to the orbit. As yet, only the US Space Adventures offers access to the ISS for private clients.
