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.