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. -News for Thur. 25 April & Fri. 26 April 2002


Space Tourist Sleeping Well


VOA News
26 Apr 2002 15:38 UTC
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Russian space officials say the world's second space tourist got a good night's sleep on board the Soyuz space capsule as it headed for a Saturday docking with the International Space Station. 

The deputy head of a medical institute that works closely with the Russian space program, Igor Goncharov, says the two first time astronauts on the mission - South African Mark Shuttleworth and Italian Roberto Vittori were probably worn out after a busy first day in space. 

Mr. Shuttleworth, who made his fortune as an Internet entrepreneur, paid Russian officials $20 million for the space trip. He is the first African ever to fly into space. Mr. Shuttleworth is scheduled to carry out several scientific experiments while on board the space station. Mr. Vittori is an astronaut with the European Space Agency. 

The mission commander, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko has made two previous space flights, spending a total of nearly a year in space on board the old Soviet Mir space station and the International Space Station. The three blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan early Thursday for the 10-day mission. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP. 

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