Space Tourist Arrives at Alpha

Mark Shuttleworth, a South African millionaire, became the world's second space tourist when he safely arrived at Alpha, the international space station, last weekend. The space tourist traveled aboard the Russian space ship Soyuz TM-34 with Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko and Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori. Both Gidzenko and Vittori are working to replace the space station's emergency escape vehicle.

Shuttleworth, 28, is one of the world's youngest space travelers and is the first African to travel into space. "It's amazingly roomy," Shuttleworth told South African president Thabo Mbeki during a call from the space station. "We hope that we will be good guests," Shuttleworth said. Shuttleworth paid the Russian government $20 million for the eight-day trip.

Alpha, the international space station, is currently being built in space about 240 miles above Earth. Sixteen countries are helping build the station, piece by piece. Right now, the station has about the same amount of living area as a three-story house. Space officials hope to finish construction by 2006.

Last year, Dennis Tito, an American businessman, became the first private citizen to travel to space as a tourist. Tito paid the Russian government to take him to Alpha.

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