[Bill Hemmer, Cnn Anchor:] If you had $20 million to spend on a trip, where would you go? How about space? Our guest this morning says he's planning to take a multimillion- dollar ride on the Russian space station Mir, possibly next spring. He'll become the first tourist in orbit. Dennis Tito joins us live from Moscow. And if our viewer will also allow us to be patient with the delay here, we'll continue. Dennis, hello to you.
[Dennis Tito, Whilshire Associates:] Good morning.
[Hemmer:] Tell us, why is this so important to you in order to spend the kind of cash that could be spent on this?
[Tito:] Well, it's been a long-term dream. I first became fascinated with space when Sputnik was launched in '57. I was a senior in high school. I went on to study aerospace engineering. After graduating, I went to Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and worked for five years on various space missions, and I've been fascinated with space since then. So it's been a life-long passion.
[Hemmer:] As you describe yourself, a former rocket scientist. But you know all too well the history of Mir. It's 14 years old, it has not had many gold stars in the past few years. Are there concerns from you about the health of the space station?
[Tito:] Actually, there isn't. Those problems are well understood and will not repeat. It's an old space station, but that also is an advantage because it's well-tested. And I'm very confident that there won't be problems when I'm aboard.
[Hemmer:] Dennis, do you believe this is strictly a sightseeing tour for you, or with there be science involved as part of your objective to go through with this?
[Tito:] Well, I believe it's not only it's somewhat of sightseeing tour. I want to look at the Earth from 250 miles. But it's also, as I see it, a spiritual experience. But I do want to assist in performing scientific experiments. My background is scientific and I think I can add some value.
[Hemmer:] You're 59 years of age. I understand you work out regularly. Any concerns of the physical demands of what it may take to go through training?
[Tito:] No. I've undergone some testing that took me on G forces that are about 2 12 times what I would experience in flight. So since I was able to deal with that as well as deal with weightlessness in a parabolic flight, I feel very confident that I'm well-conditioned for this flight.
[Hemmer:] Spring 2001 that's the target. What are the chances this is pulled off?
[Tito:] I think it's pretty high. I'm right near the end of my, you know, medical testing, and so far so good. The remaining testing are things that I've already had tested at home. So I think it's a very high likelihood.
[Hemmer:] We wish you the best of luck. We also should mention that you founded the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index, so you know stocks as well. And do us a favor, Dennis. If you go, take a lot of pictures, OK? We'll come back and talk about it.
[Tito:] OK, thank you.
[Hemmer:] Thank you, sir. Dennis Tito live in Moscow. We will track that for sure.