Canada's first space tourist has boarded the International Space Station.
And as promised Guy Laliberte, the Quebec billionaire and founder of Cirque du Soleil, wore his trademark clown nose.
Via video uplink he spoke to his family, who watched from Russian mission control.
"Are you wearing your clown nose?" he asked one of his daughters.
Laliberte said he's adapting to life 350 kilometers above earth, and is now planning his show to raise awareness about water conservatoin.
He will be the orbiting MC for performances by U2, Shakira and other stars.
But despite Laliberte's charitable spin on his $35 million voyage, critics are calling the trip a waste.
UQAM research chair Yves Gingras studies the history of and sociology of science.
He has long criticized the ISS for its lack of research.
"The only thing they say they're doing is studying the behaviours of man in absence of weight, so of man in space, but man has not evolved to live in space so it's not worthwhile," said Gingras.
He argues that space tourism is nothing more than a cash grab for the Russian space program
"Very good for Guy Laliberte. He uses his money as he wish," said Gingras. "It will be good for his company, it will be very good for his foundation, but it's very bad for science."
Laliberte may be the last space tourist for a while.
With the U.S. Space shuttle program winding down in 2010, Russian rockets will be the only vehicles available to transport astronauts to and from the space station.
