The Mir space station has a future, a Tuesday news conference was told by Jack Manber, President of Mir-Corp that recently signed a contract for renting Mir with the Russian Energia space corporation.
In his opinion, the Russian station is an unprecedented space home that is in perfect technical condition. It simply shouldn’t be sunk, he said. Manber said the rent agreement is advancing gradually, step by step.
Manber said different options of funding the further operation of Mir are being checked. He reported effective talks with a number of solid businessmen in different countries.
Talks are held on different subjects – the development of unique high technologies in space and the organization of tourist flights. Mir- Corp. is attracting companies around the world in what will be a purely commercial project, Manber said. He refused to name the possible partners but admitted that they include the son of an American astronaut and a representative of the world of entertainment.
He said that after Soyuz-TM-30 spaceship docks with Mir his corporation will make a number of interesting statements.
