Last year Russian director Yuri Kara came up with the bright idea of using the now abandoned Mir space station, enthusing, "Even if we succeed only in filming a few minutes in space, it will be a grandiose, distinguishing event for Russians, who need to feel that again after Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space."
Now it looks as though Kara's vision could become reality, as yesterday MirCorp, a group of investors, signed a deal to rent the orbiting chunk of metal and turn it into a holiday spot and a film set. MirCorp president Jeffrey Manber explained, "We're sending a mission up in March to knock on the door, switch on the lights and see how everything's going up there. It's a risky venture but we're feeling confident." MirCorp envisage trips to Mir at $20 for tourists keen to travel through the stratosphere, and there already plans for a Mir movie, tentatively titled The Last Journey, which will be a joint Russian-British production. 52-year-old Russian actor Vladimir Steklov has already been signed up for the role of a cosmonaut who refuses to return to Earth. Due to be scrapped this year - by allowing it to break up in the Earth's atmosphere - Mir earned a reprieve from US millionaire Walt Anderson when he donated $7m to keep it in orbit. But the 14-year old station need a lot more cash than that to keep it going - any commercial ventures will have to raise around $100m a year to keep Mir mobile.