Russians: Decision on diva Sarah Brightman's space trip in early 2013

One-time Hot Gossip singing temptress may get ISS stay

Russian space agency Roscosmos has said it will decide early next year if classical singer Sarah Brightman gets to travel to the ISS as a space tourist.

Brightman announced in October that she was planning to take a jaunt on a Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station with cosmic travel agent Space Adventures.

The trip, including 10 days aboard the station, will obviously cost a pretty penny - around $35m, though global superstardom should sort that out for her, but Roscosmos says it still needs to give her the okay as well.

"I have met her, she is all set to fly, but Roscosmos has not yet decided on it. We have a range of possibilities, including sending young cosmonauts to fly. A final decision will be made in the first half of 2013," agency head Vladimir Popovkin said, according to Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

If she's allowed to rocket into space, Brightman will become the eighth tourist to make the trip the ISS, joining other well-funded individuals like video game developer Richard Garriott and software exec Charles Simonyi. ®