| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Greg Olsen to Have Another Try
Russia’s Federal Space Agency has officially announced US businessman Greg Olsen resumed preparation for a space flight. Space tourist Olsen hoped for the journey last year but was grounded for medial reasons. His health is much better now and he may lift off already this fall.
Sensors Unlimited Inc. President and CEO Gregory Olsen was willing to go to the International Space Station last year, quite satisfied with $20 million asked for the eight-day journey by the Federal Space Agency. He passed medical examination in early April 2004 and was given the go-ahead for training. Olsen got down to training in the town of Zvezdy, Russia, on April 14, 2004, to catch the flight scheduled for October 2004.
The training in a centrifuge showed that Olsen didn’t endure well the G-load. He left the Cosmonaut Training Center in late June. By that time, Federal Space Agency had not yet entered into the respective contract with Space Adventures.
But the 60-year old Olsen was apparently in no mood to give up. He has received special medical treatment in the United States and currently is up to Russia’s medial requirements, a source with the Cosmonaut Training Center told Kommersant, declining to specify what problems Olsen actually had and what treatment he received. According to Erick Anderson, president at Space Adventures, Olsen is optimistic, devoted to the space mission and has resumed preparation.
The partners – Federal Space Agency and Space Adventures – are also full of optimism, at least judging by their joint statement. They think Olsen to be able to make a flight already this year.
Olsen has only four months left to be trained on time for Soyuz TMA-7, which lifts off September 27. Simultaneously, Space and Adventures and the Federal Space Agency are to make the $20-million contract. Besides, the Russian party is to agree Creg Olsen’s candidature with the partners. So far the crew of Soyuz TMA-7 includes only Valery Tokarev and William Makartur.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 02, 2005
|
|
|
