As he embarked on his weeklong stint at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Lance Bass had reason to celebrate, and he had a fellow 'NSYNC-mate on hand to help him do so.

On Tuesday (August 27), the same day that the aspiring cosmonaut received a visit from JC Chasez, Bass got word that the space agencies involved in reviewing his flightworthiness had given him an all systems go.

"It's a significant thing in the program," NASA spokesperson Debra Rahn said. "It means they've agreed that he's met the criteria and he's a suitable candidate."

Bass' nomination to take the third seat on a Soyuz flight to the International Space Station was submitted by the Russian Space Agency in mid-July (see "Lance Bass Gets Russia's Nod For October Space Flight") and was under review by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel. Russia's international space station partners had raised concerns about Bass' candidacy and asked for a review of his medical background, education, experience, Russian fluency and his plans for experiments while in orbit (see "Bass Inks Space Deal As Russia's Partners Voice Concerns"). Tuesday's decision, Rahn said, signals that the Russians have answered those questions to the MCOP's satisfaction. "They've approved him to fly," she said. "Now he just has to pass the next step."

That next step involves a more senior group of space station partners, the Multilateral Coordination Board, Rahn said, which will likely meet in September, though no date has been set. "They have to give the final blessing," she said, "assuming that there are no other questions."

Meanwhile, Bass continues on his accelerated training course. His week in Houston is a requirement for all Soyuz crews headed for the International Space Station, designed to familiarize them with the U.S. portion of the station. "We just show them where various things are located so they can live and work on the station for a week," said NASA spokesperson Ed Campion. "A lot of it is basic everyday hardware — where the galley is, how to use the toilet. It sounds silly, but you have to learn how to go to the bathroom in space. It looks somewhat similar, but with no gravity, modifications have to be made to make things work."

Bass' training schedule for the week also requires that he learn NASA operations and hardware, meet flight controllers in Mission Control as well as past crew members who've lived on the station. He'll receive emergency and safety training in case of module depressurization or leaks, tour a full-size mockup of the ISS, and undergo simulator training.

Along for the lessons are the two crewmen that would accompany Bass on the rocket launch — Russian commander Sergei Zalyotin and European Space Agency flight engineer Frank DeWinne — as well their backups, who are both Russian. Bass himself has no backup; if he's taken off the mission, the Russians plan to send cargo of an equivalent weight.

Bass and his crew will hold a press conference Thursday at 1 p.m. EDT from the Johnson Space Center to discuss their training thus far. Bass will also participate in a Web chat, hosted by NASA's Distance Learning Outpost and education Web portal, Quest, at 6 p.m. EDT that day.

As Bass continues training, his backers are working to finalize his network and sponsorship deals before the latest Russian deadline of Friday. While the Russians have complained of missed payment deadlines, the Americans have countered that everything is coming into place, save for a few paperwork snags that are being sorted out.

"No one's ever created a model for media in space before," said Destiny Productions President David Krieff. "It's very complicated, very difficult, but it's coming together."