CAPE CANAVERAL - Though NASA hasn't reversed its official stand regarding Dennis Tito's potential jaunt into space, it has started to prepare for his trip to the International Space Station, just in case.
"I think we're kind of looking more towards if he flies, how can we ensure that he flies in a safe manner and how can we ensure that the (station crew's) timeline and activities are minimally impacted," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's deputy manager for the station program. "We're kind of working both options. There's still discussions at headquarters, there's still discussions at high levels."
Tito, a California financier, paid the Russian Space Agency $20 million for a trip to Alpha aboard a Soyuz capsule with two Russian cosmonauts. The Soyuz is scheduled to lift off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on April 28.
NASA and other international partners object to the flight because they say Tito lacks formal training and the station is a very busy place right now.
Yet Gerstenmaier said NASA is reviewing procedures for emergency exits, emergency depressurizations and fires in case he flies to the station. International discussions also include the potential of limiting Tito's access to certain station modules and who is liable if something is damaged.
"We're looking more at the practical kind of day-to-day things that we can to do ensure that if he flies, we can fly him in a safe manner and take care of him on orbit," Gerstenmaier said.
The heads of the international space agencies, including NASA, may have a teleconference Friday to discuss the issue again.
"ESA shares the opinion of NASA that this is not an appropriate time to fly tourists to the space station," said Ernst Messerschmidt, head of the European Space Agency's astronaut center. "If it cannot be avoided at this time, then it should be delayed."
But on the immediate horizon, NASA is preparing to launch shuttle Endeavour at 2:40 p.m. EDT (1840 GMT) Thursday. Weather should be clear for launch, NASA officials said. The seven-man crew will fly to space station Alpha to give the station an advanced robotic arm and deliver several new experiments.
Published under license from FLORIDA TODAY. Copyright © 2001 FLORIDA TODAY. No portion of this material may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of
advertisement
