Springboks on another planet - it's official
January 31, 2002

Many of us always thought the Springboks, at their best, were from a
different planet. Well, Cape Town IT billionaire Mark Shuttleworth will prove it when he becomes the first man to wear a South Africa jersey in space.

The 27-year-old, who will become only the second 'space tourist', has been granted permission by his Russian crew to take a South African flag and Bok jersey on his journey.

'Boeranof', as he is known by his fellow astronauts, will blast off into space on April 27, fulfilling his childhood dream of travelling in space. He will link up the International Space Station orbiting 500 miles above the Earth during a 10-day expedition that is costing him £13m.

South Africa-born Shuttleworth has been at Star City, the space training centre outside Moscow, learning to cope with weightlessness and preparing to take part in experiments with the two cosmonauts who will accompany him.

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