posted 06-11-2008 07:17 AM               

Space tourists are getting their own ride. Space Adventures, a Virginia company that arranges passage for wealthy explorers to ride on Russian Soyuz rockets to the International Space Station, plans to buy a Soyuz flight all its own in 2011, with the option of buying more.

A new investor is likely to occupy one of the two available seats on Space Adventures' 2011 flight: Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google. He made a $5 million investment in the company that will serve as a deposit on a future flight.

Space Adventures plans to announce the flight and Mr. Brin's participation in a news conference Wednesday morning at the Explorers Club in New York.

Mr. Brin, who is president of technology at Google, said in a Space Adventures statement, "I am a big believer in the exploration and commercial development of the space frontier, and am looking forward to the possibility of going into space."

posted 06-11-2008 10:50 AM               

Space Adventures Announces Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin as Orbital Spaceflight Investor and Founding Member of Orbital Mission Explorers Circle

Space Adventures, Ltd., the only company that provides human space missions to the world marketplace, announced today the Space Adventures' Orbital Mission Explorers Circle. This program allows individuals to reserve seats on future orbital spaceflights. They have the option to fly to orbit as their schedule allows with preferential access to mission seats or they can opt to sell their seat to another private astronaut. Sergey Brin, co-founder and president of technology for Google Inc., has become the founding member of the newly established 'Founding Explorer' group by placing a $5 million deposit on a future orbital spaceflight.

"Space Adventures has established the Orbital Mission Explorers Circle to build a definitive consortium of future private space explorers who share a lifetime goal of orbital spaceflight or the investment therein. Space Adventures has initially created six 'Founding Explorer' positions in the Orbital Mission Explorers Circle, each of whom will have priority access to participate in future orbital space missions," said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures. "For successful CEOs, executives, investors, and entrepreneurs who know they want to travel to space, and want to invest in a future space mission slot, this is an excellent mechanism to preserve the option for such a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. We are very proud to have Sergey Brin lead this effort as the first Founding Explorer."

"I am a big believer in the exploration and commercial development of the space frontier, and am looking forward to the possibility of going into space," said Mr. Brin. "Space Adventures helped open the space frontier to private citizens and thus pave the way for the personal spaceflight industry. The Orbital Mission Explorers Circle enables me to make an immediate investment while preserving the option to participate in a future spaceflight."

Like-minded individuals who wish to apply to join Sergey Brin as a 'Founding Explorer' in the Orbital Mission Explorers Circle will be required to make a $5 million deposit as well, which will be credited toward their eventual space mission.

Space Adventures organized the flights for the world's first private space explorers: Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth, Greg Olsen, Anousheh Ansari and Charles Simonyi. Son of former NASA astronaut, Richard Garriott, is currently in training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, with a planned launch date scheduled for October 12, 2008.