Taxpayers are paying for Transport Minister Terry Lister to spend nearly a week in Florida for the lift-off of a space shuttle, which will take just seconds.The people of Bermuda will foot the bill of thousands of dollars for the “ministerial jaunt” which doesn’t appear to have any obvious benefits to them.Mr Lister and permanent secretary Ellen-Kate Horton are attending the 365th and final voyage of the space shuttle Atlantis as guests of the US Government.Atlantis’ final mission marks the end of the 30-year US shuttle programme. Bermuda has strong links with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration.Taxpayers will have to fork out for the cost of the duo’s flights and hotel.Shadow Transport Ministers yesterday questioned what the space ship’s historic voyage had to do with the Ministry of Transport.They jokingly asked whether the space shuttle would be used “for transporting passengers to Bermuda to bolster our air arrivals”.It has also been questioned whether the trip is necessary in today’s tough economic climate when Government repeatedly says it is doing more with less.Mr Lister and Ms Horton will be VIP guests as they take their much sought-after seats to witness Atlantis’ final mission. They will be mingling with members of Congress, business leaders and celebrities.The space agency expects more than 750,000 spectators to turn out at various locations all around its Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral.The shuttle’s crew of four hopes to spend 12 days in space and will also take the first iPhone into space with them.It is understood that Mr Lister and Ms Horton were trying to keep their trip hush-hush as they left Bermuda and travelled to Florida on Wednesday.Mr Lister’s wife has accompanied him on the trip, as has one of Ms Horton’s relatives. It is understood the two family members paid for their own expenses.They are not expected to return until Sunday or Monday, but the trip will be extended if the stormy weather delays the space shuttle launch.The launch is scheduled for today at 12.26pm Bermuda time, but reports yesterday said there was a 70 percent chance that it would have to be delayed until Sunday.OBA MP Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said: “I am unaware of the details of this trip and, notwithstanding our historic ties to NASA, under such tough economic times cannot, on the face of it, see any benefit [coming] to the people of Bermuda.“I have no evidence that this is publicly-funded, but if such is the case, how does this fit into the principle of doing more with less?“If the shuttle, which is coming to the end of its useful life, is going to be subsequently used for transporting passengers to Bermuda to bolster our air arrivals, then I am all in favour. Otherwise, it seems like a ministerial jaunt which, quite frankly, we cannot afford.”The United Bermuda Party said: “We will give the Minister the opportunity to explain via a ministerial statement upon his return, so reserve comment until after that point.”The trip comes after Premier Paula Cox was invited to the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on April 29. However she did not attend as the launch clashed with the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminister Abbey in London, which she attended.The Royal Gazette yesterday sent Mr Lister a series of questions about his trip, but he did not respond. Mr Lister’s spokesman said he had no comment.