’N Sync singer Lance Bass has been asked to leave Russia’s cosmonaut training programme and will not be the world’s third space tourist, a Russian space official said today.
Sergei Gorbunov, spokesman for the Russian Space Agency, said the decision to end negotiations with Bass was made in connection with “crude violations” of his contract.
Gorbunov said Bass, who had hoped to fly to the International Space Station on board a Russian Soyuz rocket on October 28, would be leaving Russia’s Star City within the next few hours.
“It is over,” Gorbunov said.
The US pop star had been granted numerous deadline extensions after failing to come up with the €20.4M needed to secure his seat.
Bass’ supporters have blamed paperwork problems for the delay.
Bass began training in July at Star City, and just returned to Russia on Sunday after spending a week at Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston with the two other crew members.
But Jeff Manbar, president of Mir-Corp, which had been working on behalf of Bass, continued to express optimism today that the mission would go ahead.
“It is a little dramatic to say he was kicked out,” said Manbar, who added that he was headed into another meeting with Russian space officials to discuss the payment details.
“He was training at Star City yesterday. He is not training today, but he will be back there probably tomorrow or the day after.”
Gorbunov said that in place of Bass, the Russians would likely send up a cargo container with extra equipment needed on the International Space Station.
Gorbunov said the container has already been prepared and is ready to go. Bass, 23, would have been the youngest person yet in space.