‘N Sync singer Lance Bass’s ambition to become the third space tourist in history could be in jeopardy over a payment dispute. Lance is due to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) with the Russian Space Agency on October 28, at a cost of $20 million. But, according to a Russian Space Agency official, the deadline to secure his spot was last Tuesday when no payment was made. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity.
The singer is currently training in Star City, and Nasa is already planning for him and the rest of the crew to visit the Johnson Space Center in Houston later this month for a full week of training. “We have a contract, but we don’t have any money,” said Russian Aerospace Agency spokesman Konstantin Kreidenko. However, he did not confirm that Tuesday was the payment deadline.
An American television producer, David Krieff, who plans to make a series about Lance’s flight, has been gathering sponsors to pay for the fee. He says they have already committed between $5 million and $15 million each but would not identify them. He did say, however, that the sponsors included a “large soft drinks manufacturer” and spoke of a conglomerate like “Procter & Gamble”.
The producer admitted there had been a delay in transferring funds to Russia but blamed this on Russian bureaucracy and the fact that he had only received a copy of the contract via e-mail. Mr Krieff said a paper version was necessary. “In my mind, it’s a lot of talk and posturing,” he said. “That is their style and I can appreciate it. This is 100 per cent going forward. Lance’s doing beautifully; he’s kicking butt in every way. He’s totally dedicated, and everybody loves him there.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
A Los Angeles televsion producer, David Krieff, plans to make a series about Lance (pictured) in space and has been gathering sponsors to pay for the fee. Although he admits there has been a delay in transferring funds to Russia, Mr Krieff blames this on Russian bureacracy
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Lance is due to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) with the Russian Space Agency on October 28, at a cost of $20 million
Photo: © PA
