International Space Station Welcomes American Tourist

U.S. billionaire who helped develop Microsoft Word and two Russian Cosmonauts made it to the International Space station early Tuesday. Martha Stewart was down at mission control offering her applause . The lifestyle entrepreneur was among American and Russian officials and visitors monitoring the docking.This took place on the outskirts of Moscow at the Russian Mission control.

Television cameras on board showed the Soyuz nearing the station and abruptly coming to a stop.Charles Simonyi, the American billionaire paid an estimated twenty to twenty five million dollars to be the world's fifth paying private space traveler.The Soyuz docked and ISS,Simonyi and the two Russian cosmonauts entered the space station about 90 minutes later.

The arrival of a new crew is always a happy occasion. There are three residents who currently reside on the space station. Simonyi decided to bring aboard a gourmet dinner to give everyone aboard , as an extra treat. The menu consisted of quail that was marinated in wine,duck breast confit with capers, shredded chicken parmentier, apple fondant pieces, rice pudding with candied fruit, and semolina cake with dried apricots.Selected by Martha Stewart. Stewart was also present for the rockets launch on Saturday.

Charles Simonyi will return back to earth on April 20. American astronaut Miguel Lopez-Alegria and Russian Mikhail Tyurin will also be returning to Earth. They have been stationed on the space station since September. The other U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams will remain on board with cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov.

Simonyi who is 58 was born in Hungary began programming on a bulky computer called the Ural-2 as a teenager. In 1968 Simonyi came to the U.S. and worked for Xerox Corporation and later to Microsoft Corporation. Eventually starting his own company.While inside the space station Simonyi will be conducting a number of tests and experiments. He will be measuring radiation levels and studying biological organisms. He will also be keeping a journal each day about his accounts.

As of 2006 space tourism is only affordable to wealthy individuals and corporations. It has become so popular that even at twenty million dollars a ticket the Russian space station is booked until 2009.