WASHINGTON -- Even before cosmic capitalist Dennis Tito bankrolled his way into Earth orbit, several space tourists -- and space tourism ventures -- were lining up in the wings for a flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

The First Space Tourist

Check in with SPACE.com every day for special coverage, interviews and reports about of the millionaire space tourist Dennis Tito's flight to space.

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Cash-starved Russian space officials now realize that strapping customers into Soyuz taxi flights to the ISS is a moneymaker, and Space Adventures, which helped broker the deal for Tito's private flight of fancy, is eyeing another Soyuz taxi flight in October to fly a paying customer.

Cab fare is $20 million.

Third seat vacant

"We are actively seeking a person with $20 million, as well as the interest and time to spend six months in training to go to space," said Larry Ortega, Space Adventures' vice president of marketing and sales.

Ortega told SPACE.com that the firm already has one person in Europe and another in the Far East interested in laying down cash for a trip up into space.

"It's a lot of work...a lot of training. You have to learn Russian. But people can do it. Tito did it," Ortega said.

Eric Anderson,  president and CEO of Arlington, Virginia-based Space Adventures, said that the third seat in October's Soyuz taxi flight remains vacant.

"The eyes of the world are on Tito now. It's a gateway. We've had a lot of interest from potential people who want to do the same sort of thing," Anderson said. "There is opportunity with Soyuz taxi missions, a couple of opportunities per year for Dennis Tito-type flights."

Even before Tito floated through the ISS airlock, rumors about follow-on travelers were also afloat.

One prospect is for reality television's Survivor to send a winning contestant on a sky-high voyage. The hit CBS series is expected to announce the "destination" for Survivor III players later this week.

Mark Burnett, the creative force behind the show, has met with Russian space officials repeatedly over the last year -- originally for Destination Mir, a project that would have sent a winner to Mir and which is certainly dead in the water now that the Russian space station has fallen from orbit into the south Pacific.

Another rumored candidate is film director James Cameron, director of the epic movie Titanic. Known as a true "space cadet," Cameron is purportedly hungry to be the first orbiting tourist to take a spacewalk.

Suborbital jaunts

Worldwide attention to Tito's journey is also advancing other projects to open up space for pay-per-view sightseers

Both Anderson and Ortega emphasized that Tito's mission to ISS is opening up new businesses and markets in public space transportation.

The attention and worldwide exposure Tito has received "is testament to the fact that there are literally tens of thousands -- millions -- of people out there who want to experience space in some way," Anderson said.

"Tito is no more a tourist than someone who spends months training to climb Mount Everest. He's an adventurer," Anderson said. "Tito is not an amateur. He's a trained cosmonaut."

Next page: MirCorp, SPACEHAB and other orbital-tourism industry players