Space tourism firm offers flight around the moon on Soyuz craft

RUSSIA: US space tourism firm Space Adventures is offering a spaceflight around the moon to private tourists on "proven" Russian Soyuz spacecraft - saying that the sponsors will not have to wait for long for their trip.

Space Adventures has posted a statement describing its 'Circumlunar' mission on its website.

"Using flight-proven Russian space vehicles we will fly two private citizens and one professional cosmonaut on a free return trajectory around the far side of the moon. They will come to within 100km of the moon's surface," the statement said.

The exact price of the space trip is not listed. "The price of the spaceflight depends on the vehicle you choose, the timing and the exact mission profile."

Meanwhile, Space Adventures estimates that the first mission will kick off by 2018.

Some of the main attractions on the journey will include an "illuminated far side of the moon" and "Earth rising above the surface of the moon."

The space adventure will begin with the launch aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. The travelers will then disembark at the International Space Station where they will spend 10 days.

A second rocket will then launch a Lunar Module, which would consist of a lunar living module and a propulsion module.

The Soyuz spacecraft will rendezvous with the Lunar Module in low-Earth orbit. The other part of the journey will take six days, according to the company.

Space travel has been making waves in the entrepreneurial world of space discovery.

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Space tourism firm offers flight around the moon on Soyuz craft