Tito Arrives at Station, Loves Space
K O R O L Y O V, Russia, April 30 -- The first tourist inorbit reached his holiday destination today and declared heloves it up in space.
"Welcome aboard!" the International Space Station's Russiancommander Yuri Usachev said in cheerful English as a hatchopened, letting 60-year-old California millionaire Dennis Titoand two Russian cosmonauts spring in from their Soyuz capsule.
"I love space!" Tito announced. He grinned enormously andgave a thumbs-up sign as he floated through the space station.
"It was a great trip here. I don't know about thisadaptation that they're talking about. I'm already adapted,"said Tito, who had paid a reported $20 million fare.
Tourist Overcomes Motion Sickness
"Dennis has gotten about 10 years younger," said TalgatMusabayev, Tito's commander aboard the Soyuz.
Russian mission control said Tito had been unwell Sundayand had vomited, but had quickly recovered. Motion sickness iscommon even among professional spacemen, especially on theirfirst day in space.
Tito and the two Russian cosmonauts accompanying him willspend a week as guests of Usachev and his two Americancrewmates on board the International Space Station.
Usachev and his crew, in red short-sleeved polo shirts,gave boisterous bear hugs to the newcomers, who arrived inbaggy Russian space suits. Russian officials said the visitingcrew would spend the rest of Monday mainly at leisure.
"I hope Dennis comes home soon, because a cosmonaut's jobis so difficult and dangerous," Itar-Tass news agency quotedTito's girlfriend Dawn Abraham as saying.
NASA Bristles
The U.S. space agency NASA disapproved of the amateur spacebuff's trip to the $95 billion space station, saying hispresence could prove a dangerous distraction in an emergency.
The financier will not be allowed into U.S. segments of theorbiter without an escort and has had to pledge to pay foranything he breaks.
But Russia says it is a full partner in the space station,and can fill its quota of seats with whomever it wants.
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