First Space Tourist May Expect Delays
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. and Russian space officials are feuding over the upcoming journey of space tourist Dennis Tito. Tito is scheduled to travel to the International Space Station tomorrow after agreeing, reportedly, to pay Russia 20 million bucks for the privilege. But with computer problems plaguing the orbiting outpost, NASA contends now is not the time. For more on the controversy, CNN's Jill Dougherty is in Moscow -- Jill.</s>JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN BUREAU CHIEF, MOSCOW: Well, Donna, we're still getting two different views from both sides. On the U.S. side, NASA is saying that this could be down to the wire in terms of when Dennis Tito and that Soyuz spacecraft wi ll be blasting off. It's supposed to be happening about 11:30 in the morning Moscow time, Saturday morning. That's very early U.S. time. But Viktor Blagov, who is the deputy flight director for the Russian mission control, says there's no question that Dennis Tito is going to be leaving tomorrow, that that Soyuz rocket is going. Now, the hitch is the computer problems that you are talking about, Donna. And those have been plaguing the station. And attached to that station now is the U.S. space shuttle, Endeavour,and the U.S. side is saying that that cannot leave until those computer problems are fixed. They asked the Russians for a two-day delay. The Russians obviously want to go ahead. Meanwhile, Dennis Tito, 60-year-old California millionaire, says that he is ready. He did pay a reported $20 million for the privilege of going up into space, and he's had nine months of training, 900 hours in classroom, and his son, Mike, tells CNN that his father is a natural for space.</s>MIKE TITO, DENNIS TITO'S SON: He makes a great first space tourist. He's got the rocket scientist background. He spent years working with NASA. He's a successful businessman, a negotiator. He knows this space station inside and out.</s>DOUGHERTY: So NASA says there has been quite a bit of progress on the computers. They say that two are back already and the third and fourth are on their way to recovery, and that presumably, if things go as they expect, they could have the possible undocking Sunday. And then, according to the original schedule, Dennis Tito would be arriving on Monday. Again, the Russians are saying that they are planning to go ahead as scheduled Saturday morning on that launch -- Donna.</s>KELLEY: OK. Jill Dougherty in Moscow, thanks very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com