National Geographic Picks MIR Corporation’s Space Vaction as one of Their “50 Trips of a Lifetime!”

The May issue of National Geographic, Traveler Edition, features MIR corporation's "Inside the Russian Space program" tour as one of their "50 Trips of a Lifetime."MIR founder Douglas Grimes says: “We are elated to receive this honor from National Geographic Traveler. Having been born in 1960, I grew up during the “Space Race” and dreamed of being an astronaut. It has certainly been an honor for me to create a trip that offers such an intimate glimpse into Russia's rich and historical space program.”This tour is as close as you can get to actual space travel, and at $13, 995 per person, a bargain compared to a real space vacation. The ten day tour in October is the only one of its kind in 2012, and will include highlights such as witnessing the launch of the Soyuz space shuttle at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan as well as a tour of a replica of the International Space Station at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.After submitting to a medical test, travelers can participate in actual cosmonaut training for an additional fee. Ever wanted to take a ride in the world's largest centrifuge, wear an actual Russian space suit, or experience zero gravity? This is your chance!For more information on the “Inside the Russian Space Program” tour, visit http://www.mircorp.com/tour_russianspace2012.asp, or call 800-424-7289.

MIR Corporation, whose name means "peace" and "world" in Russian, has specialized in Russia (and neighboring countries) since 1986. Offering scheduled and custom journeys to Russia, along the Trans-Siberian and across the Silk Route, MIR's Seattle-based experts design imaginative trips that take travelers far from the familiar, and work closely with local affiliates in Western Russia, Siberia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan to carry them out. MIR has twice been named one of National Geographic Adventure's "Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth," and is a preferred operator for museum, alumni and special interest organizations across the country.