"Won't Give Niche To Americans": Russia Ready For Space Tourism "Fight"
NDTV
Russia flaunted its comeback this month dispatching two cosmic adventurers -- Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant -- to the International Space Station (ISS) in its first launch of tourists in 12 years.
After a decade-long hiatus, Russia is relaunching an ambitious bid for dominion over the world's budding space tourism industry, jostling with zealous billionaires, the United States, and rising China.
Russia flaunted its comeback this month dispatching two cosmic adventurers -- Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant -- to the International Space Station (ISS) in its first launch of tourists in 12 years.
Buoyed by the success, firebrand space chief Dmitry Rogozin talked up Russia's next steps to supremacy: a special module at the ISS for Russia's visitors, spacewalks outside the station, and -- down the line -- trips around the moon.
"We will not give this niche to the Americans. We are ready to fight for it," he told reporters at a press conference as Maezawa was blasting towards the ISS on a 12-day mission.
