P.M. BRIEFING : American to Join Cosmonauts

HOUSTON — A Houston-area company has signed a multimillion-dollar contract to have one of its employees fly as a “guest cosmonaut” aboard the Soviet space station Mir.

Space Commerce Corp. President Art Dula confirmed Tuesday that he had negotiated the deal with the Soviet Union. The company, which Dula declined to identify, will pay more than the $12 million the Tokyo Broadcasting Service was charged to put a reporter in space for eight days.

Dula declined to specify the exact amount the Texas firm will pay or disclose other details, such as the flight’s purpose.

The guest cosmonaut will spend five to seven days in space near the end of 1992, Dula said. The worker will travel in a Soyuz space capsule to and from the Mir space station.