Soprano Sarah Brightman 'postpones' trip to space

Sarah Brightman has postponed her planned trip to the International Space Station.

The British soprano, who had a hit single with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978, had been training in Star City near Moscow ahead of a planned blast off in a Russian Soyuz rocket on September 1.

According to Time magazine, the 54-year-old paid $52 million (£33 million) for the 10-day trip aboard the International Space Station.

But a statement on her website said she was setting the plans aside, and that for "personal family reasons" her intentions to be on the tourist flight had changed.

Eric Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures said: "Since 2012, Sarah has shared her story of a lifelong dream to fly to space.

"Her international fame as the world's best-selling soprano has enabled her message to circle the globe, inspiring others to pursue their own dreams.

"We've seen first-hand her dedication to every aspect of her spaceflight training and to date, has passed all of her training and medical tests. We applaud her determination and we'll continue to support her as she pursues a future spaceflight opportunity."

In March the singer revealed she was working with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, her ex-husband, to create a song to sing in space.

More: Will soprano Sarah Brightman be able to sing in space?