- Estonian Police Bans Rally in Support of Soviet Soldier; Roscosmos Ready to Consider Any Proposal From Possible Space Tourists – Perminov

KOROLYOV (Moscow region). April 21 (Interfax-AVN) – Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) Anatoly Perminov has said that he is interested in media reports that Russian businessman and Chukotka governor Roman Abramovich is going to invest money in a flight to the Moon.

“I learnt today that the governor is ready to give $300 million to fly around the Moon and want to become a space tourist. This is a good sum of money and it makes us pleased. Should things be the same in reality, we will consider such a possibility,” Perminov told journalists.

At the same time, candidates to fly to the Moon did not make any official requests, he said.

Space tourists have to wait until 2009, he said. “It is expected that the number of the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) will be increased from three to six people in 2009,” he said, adding: “That is why, we are unlikely to have time for space tourists.”

Meanwhile, Roscosmos manned flights director Alexei Krasnov said that the ISS crew is planned to be increased starting from spring 2009, adding that plans to develop the ISS are linked to recently signed agreements between Roscosmos and NASA.

“We agreed on a very complicated program up to 2011 with our U.S. colleagues,” Krasnov said.

More Progress and Soyuz spacecraft will be produced to secure deliveries to the U.S. part of the station, he said, adding that this was brought about by the fact that U.S. shuttles will stop flying to space in 2010.

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