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MISSION CONTROL CENTER (Moscow Region), April 1 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian federal space agency said Saturday that it had signed a contract with a space tourist from Japan who is set to fly to the world's sole civilian orbital station in the fall of 2006.
"The contract with him [Daisuke Enomoto] has been signed and we will send him with the next crew to the ISS this fall," Roscosmos senior official Andrei Krasnov said.
He also said American Anousheh Ansari would serve as backup to Enomoto and could become the first female space tourist.
Krasnov said another American space tourist could fly to the ISS in the spring of 2007.
"We have signed a preliminary contract with him for the spring of 2007 but he may decide to fly later," he said.
Krasnov added no space tourist could fly to the station without a serious scientific program.
