Reports out of Russia have surfaced that Lance Bass? mission to the International Space Station is in jeopardy. The problem surfaces from the fact that the consortium putting up the $20 million to pay his way to space has been late on their payments. The money was expected to be paid in installments. With the money that?s been paid so far, Bass is still out $20 million.

“There are a number of deadlines for the installments to be paid, but the first part has already been delayed,? Rosaviakosmos spokesman Sergei Gorbunov said. ?Theoretically, we can already dissolve the contract.?

The group of investors is being led by Destiny Productions, which also wants to turn the training and space mission into a documentary entitled ?Celebrity Mission: Lance Bass.? Gorbunov said that they asked that the new deadline for the first payment be August 9th, and that if that deadline isn?t met, it is very probable that Bass? mission could be nixed.

Two weeks ago, Bass, who is in Star City, Russia for training, signed a preliminary contract to go up into space in October with Russian Sergei Zalyotin and Belgian Frank De Winne.

Alot of the training Bass needs is for all the different landing possibilities including what to do if you land in the ocean, and what to do if you land in a forest overrun with wolves. (I don?t think what to do if you land in an outdoor concert venue full of screaming teenaged females will be covered, unfortunately!) However, if the money isn?t paid, Bass could be ruled ineligible for space flight because his training will be shortened even more.

Bass is seeking to become the youngest person ever in space, beating Soviet German Titov (not the hockey player) by 2 years. Bass is 23, while Titov was 25 in 1961.






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