Russia's space officials on Thursday rushed to find a replacement for British singer Sarah Brightman after she pulled out as the next space tourist four months ahead of her planned trip.
The singer known for roles in West End musicals such as "Phantom of the Opera" said Wednesday she was suspending her plans to fly to the International Space Station for "family reasons", reportedly her mother's poor health.
In a brief statement, the Russian space agency said it "hopes that all will be well with Brightman's loved ones."
Brightman, 54, had paid $52 million (48 million euros) to fly to the ISS, and hoped to become the first soprano to sing on board. She underwent training and passed health checks.
Speculation in Russia centred on whether Brightman pulled out because of safety fears after an unmanned supply ship to the ISS lost contact with mission control after its launch last month and fell back to Earth.
Brightman wanted to fly "on condition of complete safety -- she didn't want to risk a hair," Igor Marinin, editor of Space News magazine, told RIA Novosti news agency.
Astronauts on the ISS are spending an extra month aboard while Russia investigates the accident.
The next space launch has also been delayed although this was not expected to affect the September 1 flight.
Reports also questioned whether Brightman had failed to raise funds.
The Izvestia daily cited an "informed source" as saying: "As far as we know from our partners, the main reason is that the singer could not attract a big enough sum from sponsors to cover her ISS trip."
The singer,who won a multi-million divorce settlement from composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, has said she is paying for the trip herself.
Cargo replacement?
Brightman's place in the spaceship to the ISS may simply be filled with cargo which is needed after the supply ship failure, said Russian space official Sergei Krikalev, speaking to Interfax, calling this the "simplest and quickest solution."
Rumours had circulated for months that the singer might pull out of the 10-day trip. In January she delayed the start of her training to visit her sick mother.
"Several candidates are now being looked at to replace Sarah Brightman," a source in the space industry told Interfax news agency.
"The chances of finding a suitable candidate are small, especially since there's practically no time left for training."
Space Adventures, the US company which books space tourists, "has a few days or a week to find another tourist," another space industry source told TASS news agency.
"Otherwise they'll send a young Russian first-time cosmonaut."
It was unclear whether a Japanese businessman who has been training with Brightman could step in.
The businessman, Satoshi Takamatsu, signed a contract to undergo training, not a far more costly ticket to the ISS, a space industry source told Interfax.
There was no comment on whether Brightman would make another bid to fly to the ISS.
Previous space tourists visiting the ISS on a total of eight trips have included the Canadian founder of the Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberte, and Iranian-American entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari, so far the only woman.
Several other space tourists have been rejected in the past for health reasons or failed to come up with the money.
Russia in 2002 rejected then-22-year-old US singer Lance Bass from boyband NSYNC for failing to pay for his training.
AFP
Thu May 14 2015
Several other space tourists have been rejected in the past for health reasons or failed to come up with the money. - AFP Photo
Jadikan ASEAN sebagai pusat pertumbuhan utama- Pakar
ASEAN mempunyai potensi untuk menjadi pusat pertumbuhan ekonomi yang kukuh, inklusif dan mampan.
Menurut penganalisis ekonomi, Fithra Faisal, negara-negara besar khususnya harus tundukkan 'ego' mereka dan bekerja bersama dengan anggota ASEAN untuk memperkukuhkan lagi ekonomi negara.
Menurut penganalisis ekonomi, Fithra Faisal, negara-negara besar khususnya harus tundukkan 'ego' mereka dan bekerja bersama dengan anggota ASEAN untuk memperkukuhkan lagi ekonomi negara.
Bill Gates sambut baik dana $500 juta dari Arab Saudi
Pengasas Microsoft, Bill Gates mengalu-alukan bantuan $500 juta dolar dari Arab Saudi dalam usaha memerangi penyakit polio bagi tempoh lima tahun akan datang.
Hanya US boleh halang Israel terus serang Rafah- Mahmoud Abbas
Rafah menjadi tempat lebih sejuta rakyat Palestin berlindung daripada serangan berterusan Israel, sejak tujuh bulan lalu.
Anwar tekan kepentingan sokong pengiktirafan negara Palestin di PBB
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menekankan kepentingan menyokong pengiktirafan negara Palestin di Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) ketika bertemu rakan sejawatnya dari Jordan, Bisher Hani Al-Khasawneh, di luar mesyuarat khas Forum Ekonomi Sedunia (WEF) di Riyadh Arab Saudi pada Ahad.
Muhammad Hakim Danish naik podium di GP Sepanyol
Pelumba muda negara Muhammad Hakim Danish Ramli mempamerkan peningkatan prestasi apabila menamatkan perlumbaan 2 Grand Prix (GP) Sepanyol bagi saingan Rookies Cup di kedudukan podium hari ini.
10 Berita Pilihan - (28 April 2024)
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
AWANI Ringkas: Inspektor ditahan kerja
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Ratu cantik Malaysia Harveen Kaur tawan Puncak Mera namun hilang jari akibat luka beku
Puncak Mera yang berketinggian 6,470 meter dari paras laut itu mampu memberi cabaran hebat meskipun kepada pendaki paling berpengalaman.
'Dek Wan' terus menyinar di Maghribi
Dek Wan mempamerkan larian bertenaga dengan mencatat masa 12.52 saat (s) untuk meninggalkan Taha Al Harrasi (12.65s) dari Oman.
Piala Thomas: Malaysia tempah slot ke suku akhir
Malaysia berjaya menempah slot ke suku akhir selepas menewaskan Algeria dengan kemenangan 5-0 dalam saingan Piala Thomas di Chengdu, China sebentar tadi.
Anak Andrew Lloyd Webber, Nicholas meninggal dunia pada usia 43 tahun
Nicholas meninggal dunia ketika menerima rawatan di sebuah hospital di Basingstoke, England akibat kanser perut dan pneumonia.
Selepas 35 tahun, pementasan Phantom of the Opera di Broadway berakhir
Sejak mula dipentaskan pada 26 Januari 1988, ia telah dipersembahkan lebih 13,500 kali dan ditonton oleh lebih 19 juta penonton.
Terima ulasan negatif, filem 'Cats' disunting semula selepas seminggu ditayangkan
Kandungan keseluruhan filem itu tidak berubah, namun beberapa kesan visual dikatakan telah ditambah baik.
The Phantom of the Opera 'hantui' Istana Budaya
Untuk tiga minggu sahaja, peminat berpeluang menyaksikan tiga watak utamanya -- The Phantom, Christine Daae dan Raoul -- secara langsung.