MirCorp, a private company renting the Mir space station, finalized plans for its continued occupation. The company's board of directors announced on Tuesday that two long-duration crews will visit the Russian station next year.

Netherlands-based MirCorp rented the station in February for commercial purposes from RKK Energia, the Russian company that built and operates Mir. The first privately financed crew, cosmonauts Sergei Zaletin and Alexander Kalery, boarded Mir in April, reviving the station after several months of uncertainty over its fate.

At the same time, MirCorp was actively seeking commercial customers, particularly a passenger who would agree to pay between $10 million and $20 million for a ride to the station. In June, the company announced that Dennis Tito, an American businessman, would pay for his trip to Mir.

Earlier, RKK Energia hoped to launch another private crew to the aging station at the end of November. They had to revise these plans, however, more time will be required to prepare and finance the mission.

According to the schedule announced July 18th, an automated Progress cargo ship, carrying fuel and supplies, will be sent to Mir in the fall of this year.

In early 2001, two Russian cosmonauts will board the outpost for a long-duration mission -- the 29th such expedition to Mir.

Russian cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Salizhan Sharipov, who were the backup crew for the 28th expedition, are currently in training for the next flight to the station.

As previously planned before Russian federal government stopped financing Mir, a 30th long-duration crew will arrive at the station in mid 2001 while their predecessors are still aboard.

Dennis Tito will ride with that replacement crew, accompanied by two career cosmonauts. According to sources in Russia, Talgat Musabaev and Yuri Baturin, who have already been selected to serve as a backup crew for 29th expedition to Mir will, according to tradition, be the primary crew for the 30th mission.

For about 10 days, five people from both expeditions will work aboard Mir, after which Tito will return to Earth with the previous crew, MirCorp announced.