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Russia's top
space official says his agency has wrapped up a deal with a South
African Internet tycoon to fly to the International Space Station.
Nasa confirmed
it had agreed to the plan despite a rift with Washington when Russia
first sold a seat on the station to a non-professional earlier this
year.
But the United
States did not object this time, according to Russian Aerospace
Agency director Yuri Koptev. He said: "We have the understanding
of our partners."
Mark Shuttleworth,
27, is set to become the second "space tourist" to fly
to the station, arriving in a Russian Soyuz rocket next April, Mr
Koptev said.
Nasa spokeswoman
Kirsten Larson said the United States has agreed to let Shuttleworth
fly. "We have agreed in principle, but there are still some
parts of the deal that we need to finalise," she said.
The Cape Town
native underwent a month of tests and training at the Star City
cosmonaut training centre outside Moscow earlier this year.
Mr Koptev said
the contract with Shuttleworth would be signed within days. He refused
to disclose what Shuttleworth was paying but said it was "no
worse" for Russia than the earlier deal with California tycoon
Dennis Tito.
Mr Tito reportedly
paid Russia $20 million (£13 million) for an eight-day trip
to the space station in April and May.
"I have
always dreamed of space as a platform for inspiration, education
and technology, and am working to realise that dream for South Africa,"
Mr Shuttleworth said in a statement released in South Africa.
Mr Shuttleworth
started a business trading in Internet security technologies in
his parents' garage. Last year the company was bought by the US
company Verisign, netting Mr Shuttleworth an estimated $500 million
(£330 million).
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