Video game designer Richard Garriott, the sixth privately-funded space tourist in the world, has returned to Earth, after spending more than 10 days in space, and on the International Space Station. Garriott accompanied Expedition 18 members - NASA astronauts Michael Fincke and Russian astronaut Yuri Lonchakov – to the ISS, where they replaced Expedition 17 members Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko.

Garriott, who was inspired by his father, astronaut Owen Garriott, to explore new frontiers, embarked in a journey that only few people have encountered. The flight was more than just a curiosity, it was an ambition of following his father’s footsteps, and a desire to contribute to scientific and environmental research, as well as expand educational outreach.

“This mission to the ISS fulfilled a lifelong dream to experience spaceflight as my father first did 35 years ago; it’s an honor to be the first American to follow a parent into space,” Garriott told Space Adventures. “This experience made possible by Space Adventures – from my training in Star City, to lift-off, orbit and finally docking with and staying on the ISS – has been more gratifying than anything I could have ever imagined.”

Garriott also said that the most rewarding aspect of his space journey was being able to speak to students, inspire them and make them understand that they can achieve their wildest dreams as long as they work hard for it, and are perseverant.

The video game designer launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 12, after completing a cosmonaut-training program at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. On October 14, he arrived at the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft, and after a successful docking, Garriott met with Expedition 17 members Sergei Volkov, Oleg Kononenko and Greg Chamitoff.

During his staying on the International Space Station, Garriott participated in press conferences with NASA, and provided answers to students about his experience in space. He communicated with students associated with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. Garriott also made contact with the Chidren at Budbrooke Primary School in Warwick though ARISS Ham radio.

In addition to that, Garriott participated in a series of experiments to study the impact of spaceflight on astronauts, as well as in scientific observations on the reactions of the eyes to low and high pressure in a microgravity environment. Furthermore, Garriott took a large number of photos of places on Earth that are of particular importance from an ecological point of view.

Space Adventures CEO Eric Anderson commented that “the history-making mission” turned Richard Garriott into the first second-generation astronaut, in addition to opening the space frontier for commercial opportunities.

Space Adventures gained worldwide fame seven years ago, when it sent its first tourist into space, Dennis Tito. The company has already announced plans for spring 2009, when computer software developer Charles Simonyi will take a second trip into space.

As Space Adventurers CEO Eric Anderson explained, the fact that they already have a repeat orbital client demonstrates that the world is ready to engage in a truly amazing experience. Furthermore, these examples of people fulfilling a lifelong dream show that reality has changed, and that space tourism is not just a dream.