Gregory Olsen of the United States may become the world's third space tourist by visiting the International Space Station this fall.
A spokesman for the Russian Space Agency said it and the Space Adventures Co. are optimistic for a fall liftoff. Olsen had been undergoing astronaut training at Star City near Moscow, Russia's Novosti news agency reported.
"Space Adventures officially introduced Olsen as a candidate for a brief orbital flight," the Russian Space Agency said. "On May 16 he resumed preparation at the Cosmonaut Training Center."
Russian officials last year determined the 59-year-old millionaire's health was not good enough for space flight training. But since them he has been re-examined and given permission to resume training for a flight to the ISS.
The first space tourist, Dennis Atito of the United States, performed a week-long flight in 2001 for $20 million. Number Two was South African millionaire Mark Shuttleworth, who paid the same sum to fly to the ISS in 2002.
