Bumped space tourist seeks refund

Japanese millionaire Daisuke Enomoto had planned to dress up as his favorite anime character in outer space and spent $21 million to make it happen.

Now he claims the company that was supposed make his dream come true brushed him aside with little more than a "sorry, no refunds."

A federal judge heard arguments yesterday in Enomoto's lawsuit against Virginia-based Spion. He was replaced by Anousheh Ansari, who became the world's first female space tourist.

In early 2006, Space Adventures announced a joint venture with an investment firm founded by the Ansari family. Enomoto alleges that he was constantly pressured to invest in Space Adventures while he was a client, and that he was bounced in favor of Ansari in part because the Ansaris agreed to investments that Enomoto refused.

Space Adventures lawyer John Villa said Enomoto refused doctors' advice to treat his kidney stones aggressively and was well aware throughout the process that the kidney stones could disqualify him.

Villa also said that if Space Adventures provided refunds for medical disqualifications, any would-be space tourist with cold feet could simply provoke a medical disqualification and collect their payments.

Enomoto's lawyers declined to make their client available for an interview. A Space Adventures spokeswoman also declined comment.

U.S. District Judge James Cacheris will rule later on Space Adventures' motion to dismiss the lawsuit.