[FPSPACE] Dennis Tito to ISS in May with Musabayev/Baturin

[Igor Lissov]

Hi,

> http://www.gazeta.ru/2000/12/27/kosmi4eskogo.shtml
>
> ..is reporting that Rosaviakosmos confirms that Dennis Tito will be on the
> Soyuz mission to ISS in May, and the Russian crew will be Musabayev and
> Baturin.

Who? Who did say this to the gazeta.ru author?
At today's press conference of Yuri Koptev, Tito was mentioned
as the only person willing to pay for Mir flight.
No mention of his ISS mission, no mention of Musabayev and
Baturin, no names at all, including even Padalka & Budarin.
What Koptev did say and imply, that *if* Mir goes uncontrolled
between now and end of life, the rescue crew to be sent should
be experienced in docking with such 'non-cooperative' target,
as were Dzhanibekov and Savinykh 15 years earlier.
This was the idea in Tuesday discussions before comm restored,
and then Sharipov was effectively excluded as commander. If
Mir doesn't go uncontrolled, most probably rescue crew will not
be launched.

Igor Lissov