MOSCOW - Lance Bass and his team of corporate sponsors have been given "one more chance" by Russian space officials to settle the outstanding financial problems that have interfered with the pop star's plans to fly to the International Space Station this October.
A Rosaviakosmos spokesman said Friday that officials from his agency, the Energia Corporation and the Cosmonauts' Training Center in Star City had extended a new deadline for Bass's sponsors to transfer a "large portion" of the payment for the trip.
The spokesman said that the deal's overall price tag remains confidential, as is the sum of the expected payment, but that the insallment in question would total "more than one million dollars" and was due "about a week or 10 days" from Friday.
"These are not concessions in price, but in time," said the spokesman, who commented on condition of anonymity.
He also said that, as a "gesture of good will," the Russian space officials have allowed Bass, who is now in Star City, to resume active training. Training had been suspended for some days due to the payment spat, and even to switch from solo preparation work to joint exercises with his fellow flight participants.
In late August, Bass is set to travel to Houston to train on U.S. equipment, the spokesman said. He added that Rosaviakosmos would cover the costs for the time being, with the understanding that any expenditures related to Bass's training would be reimbursed by him or his corporate backers.
The spokesman also said it was possible that some changes "for the better" would be made in the U.S. team representing Bass's sponsors, including the addition of some "big players." He declined to elaborate.
"New substance has been added (to the deal)," said LunaCorp President David Gump, who is keeping close track of the Bass bid on behalf of client RadioShack. "The Russians hope that soon the default will be remedied. If things go well next week, (Bass) will show up on August 26 for his Houston training."
RadioShack is the only Bass' sponsor to be identified this far, though MTV, its parent company Viacom, Procter & Gamble and an unnamed soft drink company are rumored to be investors in the project.
However, the head of Energia's international marketing division, Alexander Derechin, said the make-up of the corporate sponsor pool had not changed. He declined to reveal its members, citing a confidentiality agreement.
The 23-year-old pop singer's trip to the ISS is to be turned into a television special produced by the Los Angeles-based Destiny Productions.
The Celebrity Mission: Lance Bass show is expected to be seven, one-hour episodes revolving around Bass' training and trials leading up to the launch. Then there would be a two-hour launch special. Upon Bass' return, a two-hour "welcome back to Earth" special featuring a huge concert will be aired.
Space News Staff Writer Brian Berger contributed to this report.
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