Space Adventures, Ltd., the only company currently providing human space mission opportunities to the world marketplace, today announced that its orbital client Guy Laliberte and his crew successfully launched aboard a Soyuz-TMA spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan en route to the International Space Station (ISS).
Laliberte joins the Expedition 21 crew, which includes Russian cosmonaut Maksim Surayev and NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams.
During his 10-day stay at the ISS, Mr. Laliberte will share information about water-related issues through an artistic and poetic mission, themed "Moving Stars and Earth for Water." The message he transmits from space will raise awareness for the ONE DROP Foundation.
The centerpiece event will take place on October 9 from space and in 14 cities simultaneously around the world, beginning at 8:00 p.m. (ET).
Central to the mission is a poem written by Canadian author Yann Martel. The tale will be delivered piece by piece, one destination at a time. The event will broadcast live on onedrop.org.
"Traveling has always been my way of life and I have been researching the possibilities of space travel with Space Adventures since 2004. But I needed it to be the right time and for the right purpose. This is the time. And the purpose is clear: to raise awareness on water issues to humankind on planet earth," said Guy Laliberte.
"My mission is dedicated to making a difference on this vital resource by using what I know best: artistry. This will be the first poetic social mission in space."
"The launch of Guy's mission is the eighth orbital flight that we've facilitated and represents our continued commitment to providing spaceflight opportunities for private individuals. Each of our clients is unique, but Guy is our first client who does not have a technical background. Rather, he's an artist, a performer . . . a creative genius," said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures.
"We're proud that we are able to make his childhood dream a reality and look forward to assisting many others in their quest to fly to space as well."
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