Jan 31 2002
From The Space Library
The United States, Russia, and other partners and sponsoring agencies of the ISS released a nine-page document, “Principles Regarding Processes and Criteria for Selection, Assignment, Training and Certification of ISS (Expedition and Visiting) Crewmembers,” defining the partners’ agreed-upon procedures for staffing the ISS. Among the acceptable categories of ISS crew members, the international partners included nonprofessional spaceflight participants, such as American space tourist Dennis A. Tito, who had reportedly paid the Russian Space Agency US$12 to US$20 million to visit the ISS. Tito’s visit had created tension among ISS partners, who hoped that the new agreement would clarify the selection criteria for individuals traveling to the ISS, while continuing to enable space programs to raise funds from nonprofessional space travelers. (ESA, Multilateral Crew Operations Panel, “Principles Regarding Processes and Criteria for Selection, Assignment, Training and Certification of ISS (Expedition and Visiting) Crewmembers”; William Harwood, “NASA Approves Space Visitor Rules,” Washington Post, 1 February 2002; Mark Carreau, “New NASA Policy Opens the Way for More People To Go into Space,” Houston Chronicle, 1 February 2002.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
