Lance Bass Late on Mission Money

By Stephen M. Silverman

08/07/2002 at 01:00 PM EDT

It's time for Lance Bass to put his money where his mouth is. In fact, it may be past due. Reuters reports that on Wednesday the Russian space agency said that it may put an end to the 'N Sync singer's plan to join an October mission to the International Space Station because he had failed to meet a payment deadline. "There are a number of deadlines for the installments to be paid, but the first part has already been delayed. Theoretically, we can already dissolve his contract," Rosaviakosmos spokesman Sergei Gorbunov told the news service. The announcement came while Bass, 23, continues training for the mission at Russia's Space City near Moscow. The musician is said to be backed financially for the estimated $20 million trip by a consortium of deep pockets collected by a Hollywood producer who wishes to film Bass in space. "If Star City, where he has also not paid a large part of his training fees, decides to cut short his training, this would be enough to take him off the flight," warned Gorbunov, according to Reuters, who added, "His backers have sent us a letter asking us to set back the deadline to August 9. If they do not pay up on the 9th, I don't know what will happen ... But we cannot wait forever."