MirCorp has transferred its attentions to the International Space Station (ISS) pending a final decision on de-orbiting the ageing Russian space station which it has been marketing for commercial opportunities. The move comes as MirCorp receives a $6 million boost from existing investors Gold & Appel and Chirinjeev Hathuria.
The company is pushing to play a role in ISS commercialisation and use of the Russian Energia-US Spacehab Enterprise module for the station, which will be launched in 2003.
Energia is a 60% stakeholder in MirCorp. Spacehab, however, declines to comment on any relationship with MirCorp, but says that if there were a link it would be as a customer not as a partner.
MirCorp will also promote Soyuz launch services to the ISS for the commercial use of the station and will develop a commercial infrastucture to support its ISS work, which could include communications services and tether technologies. The company is also considering building and launching its own commercial ISS module.
Meanwhile, MirCorp's first Citizen Explorer, Dennis Tito, has paid half of his $20 million fare to fly to Mir.
This could take place on a Soyuz flight to assist in the de-orbiting of Mir or on a Soyuz flight to the ISS in June 2001. Russia says that Tito is now a fully trained Soyuz crew member.
• The German television company Space TV has signed an agreement with Astrium for seven Russian Soyuz launches in 2002-2008 to provide flights to the ISS for winners of a pan-European television competition.
The "Space Commander" passengers will be chosen from 600 contestants selected throughout Europe. Astrium will be in charge of training, transport and ISS habitation.
NASA, however, has said that it does not want "tourists" on the ISS during its assembly process, which will be completed in 2006.
Source: Flight International
