Rio+20: the Earth Summit diaries, Wednesday 20 June

Wish to visit the Moon, fetch out 100 million pounds.

A British firm has unveiled plans to blast passengers into lunar orbit for a 100 million pounds fare. The first voyages — aboard Russian shuttles once used to spy on the West — could launch in 2015, Isle of Man-based Excalibur Almaz said.

Until now space tourists have travelled only to the International Space Station and back.

According to The Sun tabloid, Excalibur has bought and recycled four re-entry capsules and two space stations from Russian firm NPO Mashinostroyenia.

Customers will first dock with one of the space stations in low-Earth orbit. From there they will be blasted into the Moon's orbit, taking them 234,000 miles from home.

The flights, which could last eight months, will then continue into space, taking them further from Earth than achieved before.

The firm — whose Isle of Man home is rated the world's fifth most - likely place to man the next mission to the Moon — on Tuesday drew crowds by displaying one of its vessels in Westminster, London.