The death knell may have tolled for the Mir space station, but for Dennis Tito, the man intent on becoming the world's first space tourist, it's music to his ears.
"I believe the chance of me going to Mir is less than 1 percent," Tito said in an exclusive interview with SPACE.com, "but I think it is highly likely that I will end up flying to the International Space Station (ISS) on April 30."
"If Dennis Tito intends to fly to ISS, good for him," said Rosaviakosmos (Russian Aviation and Space Agency) spokesman Sergei Gorbunov. "However, I don't know what he is basing his intention on."
Tito, an investment manager from Santa Monica, California, had hoped to make a trip to the aging Russian outpost early next year. The former NASA engineer had already paid part of the $20 million price tag for the trip -- including almost $1 million that was earmarked for living and training in Russia's Star City.
Speaking from his apartment in Star City, an upbeat Tito said he was happy with the agency's decision.
"Today's decision is positive for me because at least it clarifies the future," Tito said. "I feel a lot more certain about my future than George Bush and Al Gore does right about now. Prior to this decision I was closer to feeling like they do. I'm pleased with the decision."
Tito, whose contract to fly to Mir is with both MirCorp and RKK Energia -- the Russian company that operates Mir -- said he believes he will be the third passenger on board a Russian Soyuz spacecraft being sent to the ISS on April 30. That launch, referred to as a taxi mission, will be done in order to "swap out" the Russian spacecraft moored at the outpost for use in emergencies as an escape vehicle.
NASA spokeswoman Kirsten Larson refused to comment on Tito's alternate plan to rocket to the ISS but said the agency has not discussed such a proposal with the Russians.
"I guess, all the questions regarding Tito's maybe-mission should be addressed to RKK Energia," said Gorbunov. "It is a part of MirCorp, the company that started all this adventure [with the space tourist]."
Gorbunov made it clear that Rosaviakosmos still has not received any formal application from Tito regarding his enrollment in the cosmonaut's training.
"Rosaviakosmos has no official relationship with Tito," maintained Gorbunov, and the third seat on the Soyuz is a point of discussion between the Russian space agency and foreign government agencies, including those participating in the ISS program.
"[The agency] is the only government body that can make a decision regarding somebody's flight in a Russian spacecraft," Gorbunov said.
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