Hopes To Conduct IR Astronomy Experiments

For the first time since introducing the controversial space tourist program, Russia has reportedly found someone who actually has a mission.

Gregory Olsen is a scientist who made his mark in the optics business. Sure, he'll still have to fork over $20 million for the ride, but he wants to do more than float around the cabin of the International Space Station eating food out of tubes.

The 58-year old Olsen says he wants to bring infra-red sensors on board the station to examine pollution in Earth's atmosphere. Then he wants to look out into the heavens to see just what his brainchild sensors can detect.

"I kind of feel this is a way of paying back," he said. The remote sensing experiment is "really what the buzz is for me," he said, "as well as the kick of being in space for a week."

Olsen would be the world's third orbiting tourist, after Dennis Tito 2001 and South African Mark Shuttleworth in 2002. Theirs, however, were strictly tourist trips. Olsen plans to publish the results of his orbital experiments in scientific journals.

Here's the rub: If he indeed goes to the ISS before America's shuttles are flying again, a full-fledged astronaut will probably either be bumped from the mission or will have to stay in space for an extra six months.

In the past, NASA has been annoyed (to say the least) with Russia's space tourist program. Not this time.

"NASA has no problems with what the Russian space agency is doing because they're following procedures," spokesman Robert Jacobs said.

In fact, the United States is now incubating the seeds of a space tourist program. The US House recently passed a bill regulating commercial space flight, allowing non-astronauts to orbit for scientific research reasons and (of course) releasing the government from liability in the case of a catastrophic failure or accident.

Olsen is scheduled to begin astronaut training next month.

FMI: www.spaceadventures.com