Wanted: One space tourist

Mark Shuttleworth in the Soyuz capsule after landing in Kazakhstan

MOSCOW, Russia -- Wanted: One millionaire interested in space travel. Must be unafraid of heights.

Russia's space agency is still waiting for an official applicant to be the world's third space tourist on a flight to the International Space Station scheduled this autumn.

But with time running out for the necessary training, the agency most likely will not find anyone and the chance is now virtually zero that a tourist will come along on the flight, agency spokesman Sergei Gorbunov told Interfax news agency.

Even so the Russian space agency says it hopes to find a tourist to join the mission with commander Sergei Zaletin and European Space Agency astronaut Frank DeWinne of Belgium.

A Russian cosmonaut will start training for the mission if it becomes clear that no space tourist will join the trip.

There have been some who have expressed interest in joining the October trip, including Lance Bass of pop group 'N Sync. Also interested is Lori Garver, a former NASA official who is seeking sponsors to cover the cost of the trip.

The world's second space tourist, South African Internet mogul Mark Shuttleworth, returned to Earth earlier this month. Like the world's first space tourist, Dennis Tito, he paid $20 million for the eight-day trip.

The 28-year-old Internet magnate was still glowing with enthusiasm when he spoke to reporters at the cosmonaut training centre at Star City, Russia, after his trip.

"Several times over, it was worth the investment," he said, adding that he hoped his flight would "inspire future generations to pursue science and mathematics."

He also said he wouldn't be going home to South Africa with the ultimate in souvenirs -- the Russian Soyuz capsule that brought him back to Earth -- but he did plan to buy the spacesuit he wore during his stint on the international space station.