The Russian Space Agency pulled the plug on the Bass trip Tuesday (Sept 3) and reportedly booted him from “Star City” where he was undergoing training for the flight. 

The 23 year-old pop singer had hoped to be onboard a Russian space craft in October when it would voyage to the International Space Station.  However, Bass and his corporate backers have failed to come up with the $20 million dollars the Russians asked for, even after being warned that if they failed to make the deadlines the Bass launch into space would be scrapped. 

So what do you replace a popstar with? The Russians plan to send additional cargo up in place of Bass. They say that there is not enough time to train another person for the flight, even if they came up with $40 million dollars. 

“After failing to fulfill the conditions of his contract, Lance Bass has been told that his training at the Cosmonaut Training Center has ended and that his flight to the ISS is impossible," spokesman Sergei Gorbunov told Reuters.

The Bass camp is shrugging off these latest developments like nothing has happened. They blame the delay in payment on “red tape” and assured the press that they will meet the financial requirements and Bass will indeed go into space in October as planned. 
"It is a little dramatic to say he was kicked out," Jeff Manbar, president of MirCorp told the Associated Press on Tuesday.  "He was training at Star City yesterday. He is not training today, but he will be back there probably tomorrow or the day after."
Manbar hopes that the deal can be salvaged and is trying to set up a meeting with the Russian officials to work out the details on how to insure the trip will go on.  
But as it stands right now, Bass’ seat has been reassigned to space cargo. 
 

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