Total Pricetag: $40 Million

Two unnamed Americans are the latest space tourists to buy seats on Russian aircraft. Each paid Moscow $20 million for the 8-10 day ride.

They're certainly not the first space-tourists to pay first-class fares for a trip beyond the atmosphere. American Dennis Tito and South African Mark Shuttleworth flew in 2001 and 2002. The Russians say there are two more slots open between now and 2007.

But you need more than $20 million to take the ride. These days, it seems plenty of people (aside from aviation journalists) have that kind of change to spare. Space Adventures CEO Eric Anderson, whose company handles the business end of space tourism for the Russian space program, says you have to have unique mission objectives.

One of the newest tour-o-nauts is reportedly a 38-year old real estate developer in Manhattan. No details have been released about the other. Anderson says he expects to release more details on their identities sometime next month. One of them will fly in the third quarter of next year. The other will go into space sometime in 2005.

FMI: www.spaceadventures.com