Soyuz 'Expedition 19' TMA 14 launched from Kazakhstan at 7:49 a.m. ET (1149 GMT) on March 26 carrying the Hungarian-American computer executive Charles Simyoni on his second space tourism adventure.
Simonyi, who previously launched towards the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-10 in April 2007 ( returning on TMA-9) will make his second visit to the ISS today, with a docking estimate of 9:15 a.m. ET (1315 GMT).
Simonyi will share his Soyuz spacecraft with NASA flight engineer Michael Barratt and Russian expedition commander Gennady Padalka.
Simonyi does not simply intend to use the his time aboard the ISS for mere weightless acrobatics, however. With an intended ISS departure set for April 7, Charles will instead spend his time performing educational outreach and scientific research. His second voyage has reportedly cost him $35 million.
Simonyi's trip could also witness the keen amateur radio enthusiast contacting schools to inform them of the wonders of human spaceflight, hopefully encouraging some of his young audience to pursue the necessary skills needed to enter industries connected to the New Space fields. Who knows who could be listening to his broadcasts back on Earth and who will be inspired to follow Charles' lead into space?
Picture credit: Space.com
Source: Space.com
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