U.S. billionaire space tourist Charles Simonyi (R), Russian cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov (C) and U.S. astronaut Michael Fincke pose for a picture during a news conference in Star City outside Moscow, April 10, 2009. A Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying Simonyi and a Russian-American crew landed safely in central Kazakhstan on Wednesday. Reuters Pictures 7 months ago

U.S. billionaire space tourist Charles Simonyi (R), Russian cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov (C) and U.S. astronaut Michael Fincke pose for a picture during a news conference in Star City outside Moscow, April 10, 2009. A Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying Simonyi and a Russian-American crew landed safely in central Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

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  1. Canadian billionaire Quebec-born philanthropist Guy Laliberte, is seen before the final preflight practical examination in a mock-up of a Soyuz TMA space craft at Russian Space Training Center in Star City outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. Quebec-born philanthropist Guy Laliberte departs for the international space station Sept. 30 . Laliberte paid $35 million for a seat on the Soyuz rocket, the same price as Charles Simonyi, the station's previous guest. He will likely be among the last private visitors to the space station for a few years as NASA retires its shuttle program and turns to the Russian Space Agency to ferry U.S. astronauts to the space station, crowding out places for tourists.

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  1. Canadian billionaire Quebec-born philanthropist Guy Laliberte, is seen before the final preflight practical examination in a mock-up of a Soyuz TMA space craft at Russian Space Training Center in Star City outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. Quebec-born philanthropist Guy Laliberte departs for the international space station Sept. 30 . Laliberte paid $35 million for a seat on the Soyuz rocket, the same price as Charles Simonyi, the station's previous guest. He will likely be among the last private visitors to the space station for a few years as NASA retires its shuttle program and turns to the Russian Space Agency to ferry U.S. astronauts to the space station, crowding out places for tourists.
  2. Canadian billionaire philanthropist Guy Laliberte waves before the final test in a mock-up of the Zvezda and Zarya training module in Star City outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009. The Canadian billionaire who founded Cirque du Soleil wants to turn cosmonauts into clowns when he blasts into space this month. Quebec-born philanthropist Guy Laliberte departs for the international space station Sept. 30 . Laliberte paid $35 million for a seat on the Soyuz rocket, the same price as Charles Simonyi, the station's previous guest. He will likely be among the last private visitors to the space station for a few years as NASA retires its shuttle program and turns to the Russian Space Agency to ferry U.S. astronauts to the space station, crowding out places for tourists.

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