THIS WEEK, the founder of Cirque de Soleil donned a red nose and a space suit and jetted off to the International Space Station. There have been seven space tourists in recent years. So what does it take, how much are they paying and what have they done while they were on their space holiday? asks SHANE HEGARTY
DENNIS TITO (US):The first tourist in space, in 2001 he spent almost eight days above the Earth, orbiting it 128 times. Having originally worked at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Lab, he went on to make his many millions through an investment company. There's no official idea of how much he paid for his space flight, but it was rumoured to be as much as $20 million. There was controversy over his flight, with the Americans unwilling to train with him. Luckily, the Russians found his money attractive enough to give him his week on the International Space Station, where the US astronauts were described as giving him a less than friendly response. Otherwise, Tito had travel sickness and got a scratch on his head. "But such minor things may happen to any rookie cosmonaut," said the mission commander.
MARK SHUTTLEWORTH (South Africa):The software millionaire spent 11 days in space in 2002, during which time he chatted to (the earthbound) Nelson Mandela and a terminally-ill South African girl. On board the ISS he also took part in experiments relating to AIDS research. By then, rules had been drawn up which said they shouldn't be called space tourists, but "spaceflight participants", nor could they have a history of "notoriously disgraceful conduct".
GREGORY OLSEN (US):It was 2005 before the third space tourist – sorry, spaceflight participant – left the Earth. As with his predecessors, Olsen spent about €20 million on the trip. A juvenile delinquent, he grew up to be a scientist and made his money through an electronics company. Of his 11 days on the space station, he said: "It was great. I really enjoyed the training. Obviously the thrill of going into space was incredible, and why I did it. But the training and the relationships I built are just as valuable to me."
ANOUSHEH ANSARI (Iran/US):The Iranian businesswoman became the first female space tourist – and first Muslim female in space – when she flew in 2006. She wrote a blog during her 12 days in orbit, and the details were the kinds of things the public find more curious than many of the scientific experiments. "The most interesting experience – or should I call it experiment – is washing your hair," she wrote. "Now I know why people keep their hair short in space."
CHARLES SIMONYI (Hungary/US):The only tourist to have gone into space twice, in 2007 and again in March of this year. Born in Hungary, he went on to become worth an estimated €1 billion thanks to his brilliance as a software developer, working with Microsoft. He was also Martha Stewart's boyfriend for 15 years. He has spent a total of 26 days in space. "It is a cosy place," he said of the space station. "It is full of stuff, as you see, it's full of knick-knacks just like a home."
RICHARD GARRIOTT (UK/US):Having made his money from developing computer games, he spent 12 days in space last October. Like all previous tourists, he made his trip through Space Adventures, but paid an estimated €30 million for his holiday. While up there, he did what tourists do and got his camera out – filming some scenes for a science fiction film. Earlier this year, he officiated in the first zero-gravity wedding, which took place aboard a plane rather than a spaceship.
GUY LALIBERTÉ (Canada):Any astronauts with coulrophobia – a fear of clowns – will not welcome the arrival of Laliberté, who donned a red nose before heading to the space station on Wednesday. Starting life as a busker, he founded Cirque de Soleil – a show so successful he's now worth an estimated €2.5 billion. He has been entertaining his fellow astronauts with a zero-gravity soap bubble show and has threatened to tickle his colleagues while they sleep. Laliberté may yet the first space tourist to be kicked out of the orbital holiday camp.
