Pioneering space tourist Mr Dennis Titoentered the International Space Station after a successful dockingof the Soyuz TM-32 vessel, Russian space officials said today.
MrTito boarded the ISS around 10.30 a.m. Irish time after Soyuz commanderMr Talgat Musabayev and ahead of engineer Mr Yury Baturin, a spokesman formission control centre, Mr Nikolai Kryuchkov said.
Meanwhile, Russian space officials have dismissed reports that Titanic' director James Cameron was set tobecome the nextspace tourist after Mr Tito.
Denying that "official negotiations" were under way between theRussian Space Agency and the Oscar-winning Canadian-born director,spokesman Mr Sergei Gorbunov said Cameron had applied last year foraflight aboard the Russian space station Mir.
He underwent a medical check-up in Moscow after applying "morethansix months ago" and was found fit by Russian doctors, Mr Gorbunovsaid.
Following Russia's decision to down the Mir, Mr Gorbunov said, "Iwould not ruleout him asking us to take him aboard theInternational SpaceStation."
But referring to a report in USAToday, he added:"I doubtCameron could leave in October, because that would notleave himenough time for the necessary training."
Another RSA spokesman said there had been "several"applicationsby would-be space tourists.
MrTito, a 60-year-old multimillionaire, became the first spacetourist on Saturday when he blasted off for the ISS aboard a Russianrocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
AFP