First time is last trip for space tourist Tito

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Dennis Tito, the world's first paying "space tourist," said he would not make the trip again even if he could because it is time for other people to experience space.

Less than two weeks after landing on Earth from his journey to the International Space Station, the 60-year-old multimillionaire also said Friday he was now focusing on making space travel a business venture.

"First, I want to find out, is there really a market here?" he said on CNN's "Lou Dobbs' Moneyline." "I want to look at it as a businessman and determine, is there a business opportunity here? If there is, I want to put together a business plan and raise the capital and get the job done."

Asked whether he would seek to take another trip into space, the smiling Tito said no. "Not because I wouldn't want to, but I think it's time for other people to follow their dreams, and I'd like to work on that."

MESSAGE BOARD Human spaceflight

Tito has already said he hopes to put together a commercial venture that would provide much lower-cost transportation to orbit or suborbit so others could experience the splendor of the planet Earth.

Tito reportedly paid the Russian space agency $20 million for the ride, and returned to a growing controversy over whether tourists should be allowed to venture into space. The U.S. space agency NASA long opposed the trip, saying Tito lacked the training or Russian-language skills to ensure the safety of his crew mates.

The former NASA rocket scientist said the opposition came as a surprise, as did the overwhelming public reaction to his trip.

"Amazing," he said of the public support he received. "Not only in the U.S., but also in Russia. I was surprised to see such a very positive reaction."