Originally scheduled for the now-deorbited Mir, Tito's pioneering and controversial trip has been widely covered in the press. (See links below.)  What follows is the Tidbit of the Week on space tourism, as originally posted last July.

Tito is far from the only private citizen who wants to take a trip into space.  Although space exploration no longer attracts the kind of public attention (and government funding!) that it did in the heyday of the Apollo Program, millions of people eagerly follow the news about space travel and many of them undoubtedly share Dennis Tito's dream of going into space.  For most, the (literally) astronomical cost will be a barrier, at least for the foreseeable future.  But, for those who have the money and who would rather spend it on a trip into space than, say, running for the U.S. Senate, the prospects of vacationing in space during the coming decade look pretty good.

Links (updated):
= highly recommended

News stories on Dennis Tito and the International Space Station, on Yahoo.

According to an April 27, 2001 article in the Washington Post, James Cameron, director of Titanic, wants to be the next space tourist and is talking with the Russian space agency.

MirCorp's home page.  See the June 19, 2000 press release about its "Citizen Explorer" program and Dennis Tito.  If you are a multi-millionaire and want to go into orbit soon, this is probably your best bet.

"American Megamillionaire Gets Russki Space Heap," a profile of Walter Anderson, founder of MirCorp, by Elizabeth Weil, The New York Times Magazine, July 23, 2000.

Space tourism page from Space Future, a site "for everyone who'd like to travel in space."

HobbySpace's space tourism page.  HobbySpace describes itself as "your web guide to space hobbies and activities."

NASA Watch page on space tourism.  NASA Watch is an online news service that reports on space news and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  It is entirely independent of NASA.

Space Island Group -- a commercial firm that intends to build its own orbital space stations.

Spacetopia, Inc. -- a firm that "has been established to exploit the emerging market for space tourism and related services in Japan."

"Space Elevators, Space Hotels, and Space Tourism," a technical paper describing "a conceptual design for a transportation system which could be built to carry passengers into space for tourism," by "amateur rocket scientist" Nathan Wilson.

Incredible Adventures -- a firm taking reservations for future commercial flights aboard the Space Cruiser, a civilian shuttle being developed by Vela Technology Development, Inc.  They also offer flights in MIG-29s, "covert operations," and other adventure travel possibilities.  Gift certificates are available.

Space Adventures -- currently offering reservations for suborbital flights aboard a reusable launch vehicle under development.  Flights are planned for 2003-2005.  According to a February 7, 2001, press release, the firm played a role in arranging Dennis Tito's flight on the International Space Station.