Thawte Founder Fails Russian 'Web of Trust'

[Bill Scannell]

http://cgi.canoe.ca/CNEWSSpace0110/05_tourist-ap.html

Russian officials reject tourist

MOSCOW (AP) -- Officials rejected a South African Internet tycoon's bid to
fly to the International Space Station because he made unreasonable demands,
Russian news agencies reported Friday.
Mark Shuttleworth, 27, underwent a month of tests and preparation at the
Star City cosmonaut training center outside Moscow over the summer. But the
Cape Town native failed to conclude a contract to become the second tourist
in space. 
California tycoon Dennis Tito, who reportedly paid $20 million to Russia's
cash-strapped space agency, made an eight-day trip to the station last
spring. 
"All attempts to bring Shuttleworth's conditions into correspondence with
regular practice have been abortive," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted
Russian Space Agency director Yuri Koptev as saying.
Koptev said that Shuttleworth had insisted on a minimum of two weeks in
space, instead of the eight to 10 days the space agency favored.
"This demand would throw off the flight schedule," Koptev said.
Koptev said that Shuttleworth had also expected a free second flight to
space if the first spacecraft failed to dock with the station, ITAR-Tass
reported.