The Hungarian-born US billionaire Charles Simonyi is set to make a new history by becoming the first space tourist to take space tour twice, on Thursday, when he is scheduled to fly to space on a Russian Soyuz Rocket.

According to report, the Russian Soyuz Rocket carrying Charles Simonyi will take off from the Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome in the Kazakh steppe at 7:49 p. m. EST or at 1149GMT. The Expedition 19 - the Russian Soyuz Rocket is scheduled to be docked with the International Space Station (ISS) two days later. Simonyi will travel with Russian astronaut Gennady Padalka and U. S. astronaut Michael Barratt, and Simonyi's wife, family and close friends will be allowed to watch the rocket launching.

Simonyi is part of new six-member crew that will stay at the ISS for 13-day mission. He will assist the astronaut in their research projects and will take part in live broadcasts with schools.

"I am very happy to stand here again and to report as a member of this excellent and experienced crew," said Simonyi expressing his joy over his second space tour. Simonyi said he will hang up his space suit after this space tour.

"I cannot fly for the third time because I have just married and I have to spend time with my family," said the 60-years-old, Simonyi, who tied marital knot with his 28-year-old Swedish wife, Lisa Persdotter, November last year.

Simonyi has reportedly paid $35m (£24m) for this space tour, making a total of $60 million for his two space tours. He has made much of his fortune developing software at Microsoft. He has been head of Microsoft's application software group, oversaw the creation of Microsoft's flagship office applications. He now heads his own company, Intentional Software, and his estimated net worth is US$1 billion. He lives his in Medina, Washington residence, "Villa Simonyi", designed by architect Wendell Lovett. He became the fifth space tourist and the second Hungarian to take space tour in 2007.