Inflation Affects The Space-Age

With the number of remaining US space shuttle missions now down to single digits, how much is it going to cost NASA to get a seat on the Russian Soyuz craft which will become the workhorses for crew transport to the International Space Station after next year?

Reuters reports Russian news agencies have announced Roskosmos plans to charge the US 51-million dollars per seat starting in 2010. That's up from the 20-million per seat charged early space tourists, and the 35-million paid more recently by tourinaut Charles Simonyi (below) on his second visit to the ISS.
 
At first, the doubling of the size of space station crews was thought to mark the end of private contracts for tourism flights on Soyuz vehicles. But the Russians now say plans to send a trained cosmonaut along on a flight this September have been cancelled, freeing up a seat.

Roskosmos chief Anatoly Perminov now says, quote - "This form of tourism will continue."
 
I suppose, for anyone who could swing 20- or 35-million, 51-million may still be doable...

FMI: www.spaceadventures.com