Space tourist in buoyant mood

Tito (right) has been relaxing with his colleagues

The world's first space tourist, Dennis Tito, has said he feels better than he has ever felt in his life, as he prepares to realise his 40-year dream of space flight.

In a final news conference by the Russian Soyuz mission's three-man crew before Saturday's launch, the 60-year-old Californian businessman said his training programme had been dogged by "political problems".

Right now I feel better than I've ever felt in my entire life

Dennis Tito

But he said that the dispute between Russia and the United States over the flight to the International Space Station (ISS) was now over and the flight would go ahead.

US space agency Nasa had objected that Mr Tito's presence could jeopardise work on the ISS.

"The flight has been scheduled and the conflict is over," he said. "And the enthusiasm the flight will generate ... overshadows every problem."

Mr Tito has paid around $20m for the privilege of joining cosmonauts Talgat Musabayev and Yuri Baturin in their trip to the International Space Station.

'Dream come true'

He said he had no worries about the dangers of space flight, which he had dreamed of since the launch of the Sputnik in 1957.

Dawn Abraham: proud of Tito

"When you thought about something for 40 years, you visualise it in your mind," he said. "So this is a dream come true."

Mr Tito blew kisses to his girlfriend, Dawn Abraham, from behind a glass screen set up to protect the crew from infection on the eve of their flight.

Ms Abraham, who runs a personnel company across the street from Mr Tito's office in Santa Monica, said she had had a hard time supporting Mr Tito ever since he was given the go-ahead by Moscow to go into space a year-and-a-half ago.

"Through this whole time, I have tried to remain calm and help Dennis," she said. "I am very excited for him."