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Richard Garriott, a US computer game developer and Brin's friend, blasted off into orbit aboard Russia's Soyuz spaceship on Sunday, alongside US astronaut Michael Fincke and Russian cosmonaut Yury Lonchakov.

Brin, a native of Moscow, arrived at the sprawling Soviet-era complex with Garriott's friends and family members to wish him well for his journey to the International Space Station.

The Google billionaire has put down a $5 million deposit to book a flight with

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space tourism company Space Adventures, but has not said if he will definitely go.

Space Adventures, which specialises in sending super-rich adventurers on trips to the ISS, said he could go as soon as 2011 as part of its planned private Soyuz flight programme.

In jeans and a black fleece, Brin looked relaxed as he toured the world's oldest space-launch facility, which was originally set up in the 1950s as a clandestine missile test centre.

Garriott, who paid $35 million for his ticket to space, waved and joked as he talked with Brin and others during a private meeting from behind a glass quarantine panel designed to protect his health ahead of the blast off.

"I feel great. Thank you," he said through a microphone, smiling.

The group cheered and laughed as Brin jokingly inquired whether Garriott would have access to the internet on the ISS. As a good-luck gift, Brin gave him a camera memory card and wished him luck.

Other visitors included Charles Simonyi, a Microsoft developer, who travelled to space in April 2007.