Rocket men: Two businessmen launch separate bids to become first Irish person into space

IT was arguably the world’s greatest race as the Russian and American superpowers locked in combat in a bid to conquer the final frontier: the very heavens themselves.

Now, decades since those heady days, two Irish businessmen are intent on waging their own space race.

Yesterday, Tom Higgins, the founder of premium-line phone tarot service, Irish Psychics Live, declared he would be the first Irishman to travel into orbit.

Yet within hours, that claim was questioned by Renault Ireland boss Bill Cullen via a spokesman. Bet Mr Higgins didn't see that one coming.

Although numerous Irish-American astronauts have flown in space, no Irish-born person has ever done so.

Both Mr Cullen and Mr Higgins are relying on Virgin Group supremo Richard Branson to help them earn that distinction.

Mr Branson announced last September that Virgin and a US company would develop spacecraft to carry commercial passengers.

The cost of a ticket? About $200,000 (circa €155,000) each. But for that, Mr Branson is, quite literally, promising the stars.

The hope is that Virgin "Galactic" will begin operating two-hour flights from late 2007, with each craft travelling approximately 90 miles into space.

Both Mr Cullen author of the best-selling memoir, It's a Long Way from Penny Apples and Mr Higgins want to be the first Irish person to experience such a trip.

Mr Higgins's statement yesterday said that, 24 hours earlier, he had signed a contract with Virgin "to become Ireland's first astronaut".

But a spokesman for Mr Cullen said he had signed his contract on January 13.

"There are 14,000 people (internationally) who have applied, and, of the 14,000, Bill is the first to be signed up and paid up fully. But as to who is actually first to go up, that's really down to Richard Branson himself."

Virgin Galactic later confirmed as much, with spokeswoman Jackie McQuillan saying: "It will be determined nearer the time."

However, wanting answers for our readers, the Irish Examiner contacted Mr Higgins's Irish Psychics Live for a prediction.

The psychic we spoke to was in the dark about his boss's celestial ambitions, however.

"I have to say, it's the first I've heard about it," he said.

But then he did his thing, drawing seven tarot cards from a deck of 22.

The presence of the "world card" in the spread, which indicates a successful conclusion, was key to the psychic predicting a happy outcome for his employer.

"It doesn't necessarily say he's going to fly off in a spaceship or anything, but what it does indicate is positivity, and if it's what he wants to do, it's indicating that the powers-to-be are behind him."

Written in the stars, as it were.

Now, one can almost imagine Tom guffaw, how does poor old Bill like them apples?