RECREATIONAL SPACEFLIGHT

California businessman Dennis Tito became the first tourist in space on April 28, 2001. After months of training and preparation in Moscow and at the Cosmonaut Flight Training Center in Star City, Russia, Tito was launched aboard the Soyuz TM-32 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, and spent six days in the International Space Station. He paid the Russians a reported $20 million for this adventure.

Dennis Tito’s Sokol KV-2 Spacesuit

This spacesuit was custom-made for Mr. Tito from off-the-shelf and previously tested parts. During the mission, it bore mission patches and flags that represented his mission. After the flight, he received a complete set of his flown patches as souvenirs.

The Sokol ("Falcon") spacesuit was designed in the early 1970s to protect cosmonauts during launch, landing, and emergencies. The plugs and tubes extending from the suit connect to life-support systems built into the Soyuz spacecraft.

Manufacturer: Zvezda

Gift of Dennis Tito