"Goin' on a holiday

According to the New York Times, the private company that sent Dennis Tito into space is now looking to finance a private shot around the moon for a couple lucky passengers. "A roundtrip ticket will cost $100 million.". The company would pay the Russians and the Russians would do the heavy lifting. The articles goes on:

Eric Anderson, the chief executive of Space Adventures, said he believed the trip could be accomplished as early as 2008. Mr. Anderson said he had already received expressions of interest from a few potential clients.

The Soyuz vehicle to be used does not have the power to reach the Moon on its own, so the Russians have devised a plan to send up a booster. The Soyuz would dock with the booster, either in low Earth orbit or at the International Space Station.

The booster would take the passengers the rest of the way. The price of the two tickets, Mr. Anderson said, would pay for the costs of the Moon shot. His company's demographic research, he said, suggests that 500 to 1,000 people in the world can afford to do this.

I'm all for private space travel, though I'm not certain this is the best way to approach it. Nonetheless, I wish everyone involved the best of luck.