CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The world's next space tourist, a computer game wizard, said Wednesday he's spending the bulk of his fortune on his $30 million adventure this fall.
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Richard Garriott will make history as the first child of an American astronaut to rocket into orbit, and his dad will keep in touch with him during his time in space.
Garriott is set to fly aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the international space station Oct. 12. Speaking at a news conference in Houston on Wednesday, he said: "To be frank, this price tag is the majority of my wealth.”
The 47-year-old Garriott said space flight was a goal he'd been working toward for much of his life. Poor eyesight ruined whatever shot he might have had at becoming a professional astronaut.
His father, Owen Garriott, 77, was a NASA astronaut who visited America's first space station, Skylab, in 1973.
The elder Garriott will be at Russian Mission Control outside Moscow during the 10-day mission. The two hope to speak frequently.
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Richard Garriott, son of astronaut Owen Garriott, prepares to go into space in 2008. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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