X-Nico

8 unusual facts about Dennis Tito


Dennis Tito

In mid-2001, he spent nearly eight days in orbit as a crew member of ISS EP-1, a visiting mission to the International Space Station.

Tito met criticism from NASA before the launch, primarily from Daniel Goldin, at that time the Administrator of NASA, who considered it inappropriate for a tourist to take a ride into space.

Manned Venus Flyby

As a "Plan B" in case the proposed Inspiration Mars fly-by of Mars missed its 2018 launch window, in November 2013 Dennis Tito proposed a different mission architecture whereby the mission craft would first fly-by Venus, using Venus in a gravitational slingshot to speed the craft's onward journey to Mars.

Perlan Project

Design and construction are ongoing as of May 2011 in Bend, Oregon, with a $2 million gift by space tourist Dennis Tito helping to keep the project funded.

In June of 2010 Dennis Tito joined the perlan Project as a pilot and major funder.

Soyuz TM-31

The crew launched by Soyuz TM-32, which included the first paying space tourist Dennis Tito, were returned to Earth in May aboard Soyuz TM-31.

Susan J. Helms

She and her crewmates also performed a 'fly around' of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and welcomed the visiting Soyuz crew that included the first space tourist, Dennis Tito.

Talgat Musabayev

His third spaceflight was a short duration visiting mission to the International Space Station, which also carried the first paying space tourist Dennis Tito.



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