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CNN Saturday Morning News

Tito Becomes First Space Tourist

Aired April 28, 2001 - 07:01   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. financier Dennis Tito is getting a return on his investment, as the Russian spacecraft carries him toward the international space station. Tito joined two Russian cosmonauts inside the spacecraft as their mission began about three and a half hours ago. Tito paid the Russians a reported $20 million for this trip.

CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty joins us now with an update -- Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the latest word for radio communications with mission control are that everything is going normally on that flight, and that flight with Dennis Tito and the two Russian cosmonauts, we should add.

You know, Dennis Tito must be the happiest man not on earth. After all, this is the culmination of a lifelong dream.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Finally, the only thing holding back Dennis Tito was gravity. After 10 years of trying to realize his dream of flying into space, the giant Soyuz rocket lifted off, and the first space tourist waved goodbye to the world.

Tito paid $20 million for a seat on the flight to the international space station, and he could end up sleeping in that seat for his 10-day round trip. It doesn't faze him.

DENNIS TITO, SPACE TOURIST: There's a liner that has been molded specifically to your body, and, you know, I just hope I don't fall asleep on the way up, it's so comfortable.

DOUGHERTY: The 60-year-old head of an investment consulting company trained for nine months with Russian cosmonauts, including a wilderness survival course. The only thing he's not looking forward to, he says, is the food.

TITO: Probably mashed potatoes is probably the best thing that I'm going to have up there.

DOUGHERTY (on camera): But food was the least of Dennis Tito's problems. First the Russians sold him a ticket to the Mir space station, but then they ditched the Mir. Then they offered him one of their seats on the ISS, but NASA objected, claiming it's too early and too dangerous for an amateur in space.

(voice-over): Tito says he's not worried. His Russian trainers, he says, have prepared him well.

TITO: They have that wild West attitude, and I say that in a positive sense, that they're -- you know, they're free spirits. So they're a different culture than we are. But as far as their -- the safety aspects of their space program, they're very serious about, you know, not putting any of their cosmonauts at risk.

DOUGHERTY: Tito is bringing along a video camera to record his adventure and a CD player with music tapes, mostly opera. It should help make the space station feel a little more like home and give Dennis Tito a chance to prove what he believes, that space is for everyone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOUGHERTY: So the trip to the international space station now will take two days, and then it's expected that Dennis Tito will be up there for six days on the ISS, and then again a return trip of a couple of days back before he is back on earth, the -- officially the first space tourist -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jill Dougherty, thanks so much.

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