Published: 25 September, 2008, 23:03
Edited: 23 September, 2009, 12:15
A Japanese tycoon who intended to take part in a 10-day tourist flight aboard the International Space Station is now seeking $21 million in compensation for the cancellation of his flight.
Daisuke Enomoto claims he was defrauded by the US-based space tourism firm “Space Adventures”. He maintains that the medical condition for which he was pulled from the flight – kidney stones – was well known by the firm. Doctors who closely monitored his health throughout the training deemed him fit for the venture.
The Japanese space-tourist-to-be completed his intense training in Star City (a space-related research facility near Moscow) and was ready for the September 2006 launch. On the orbit, he intended to dress up as his favourite anime character and assemble toys in weightless conditions. However, a month before the departure date, he was declared unsuitable for the flight, opening up a place on the three-person crew for businesswoman Anousheh Ansari.
Enomoto alleges that the only reason he was not allowed to fly was so that Ansari – who has major investments in “Space Adventures” – could have a spot on the programme instead. The businesswoman is also the key sponsor of the $10 million Ansari X Prize awarded in 2004 for the first privately developed manned space flight.
In response to the complaint, “Space Adventures” said that the disqualification was for purely medical reasons which do not entitle Enomoto to compensation. It was, the firm asserts, a risk that Enomoto undertook when striking the deal. “Space Adventures” point out that “Mr. Enomoto's kidney stones to be larger and more numerous than they had appeared to be in his previous examinations.”
However, the Japanese businessman notes in his case that at the time of his disqualification, his health was no worse than two weeks previously when he was medically cleared for the flight by the Russian Government Medical Commission. He points out that he has not been provided with any documentary results of the crucial examination.
The court proceedings will take place in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Space Adventures” remain sceptical of the lawsuit's grounds.
“Even if Enomoto could prove his unlikely claim that he was somehow misled, he suffered absolutely no damage from any misstatement because, as the complaint admits, the cause of his failure to fly was medical disqualification, not lack of authority,” they said in a court filing.