Russia launches a short-term visiting crew to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TM-34. This is the last Soyuz TM class vehicle to fly, with a newer version of the capsule, Soyuz TMA, scheduled to launch later in 2002. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko, Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori, and South African space tourist Mark Shuttleworth comprise Soyuz TM-34’s crew, staying at the ISS for eight days. Like Dennis Tito before him, multi-millionaire and Linux developer Shuttleworth has paid for his own ride into space. This crew leaves the Soyuz TM-34 vehicle at the ISS, returning home aboard Soyuz TM-33.
