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CNN Sunday Morning

Tito Arrives Safely on Earth

Aired May 06, 2001 - 10:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour in Russia, where wealthy American Dennis Tito and two cosmonauts are on their way. They actually concluded their mission in Kazakhstan after a high profile visit to the international space station Alpha.

There Soyuz capsule touched-down today in that former Soviet Republic and a jubilant Tito was disengorged (sic) from the Soyuz capsule grinning and waving.

He describes space as "paradise." For NASA, though, it was a little bit of hell. They were very upset about the whole thing. Former astronaut John Glenn told CNN that Tito's presence on the space station prevented a scientist from making the trip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN GLENN (D), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: The purpose of that whole, the whole spacecraft up there, is basic research, and that's what we have the 16 nations together on; that's what everybody agreed. And this is, to me, a sort of a misuse of it, and I don't begrudge him going, you know, I'm sure he is having a great time. But I just think it's a misuse of the spacecraft.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Tito is now said to be thinking of a business venture that would open space to private individuals.

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