Space Tourist Standards

Snuffleupagus writes: "I found an interesting story at cnn.com about NASA's new standards for civilian space travel. It looks like if you have a history of drinking, lying and cheating you won't be going into space anytime soon, no matter how much money you have. Looks like I'll be stuck here on Earth for awhile." The guidelines for future space tourists are on NASA's site.

not true

[geekoid]

somehow I don't think the russians will care.
Of course if I say to NASA "I'll give you a billion dollars to send me into space, I have a funny feeling they wouldn't care much either.

everyone here won't be allowed to go....

[Em Emalb]

Other disqualifying traits: criminal, dishonest, infamous or notoriously disgraceful conduct; intentional false statement or fraud; habitual use of intoxicating beverages to excess; abuse of narcotics, drugs or other controlled substances; and....*drum roll please*.......

membership or sponsorship in organizations which adversely affect the public's confidence in the space station or its partners.

We have been saying for years that NASA is screwy...guess none of us will get to go.

Here's an interesting thing

[corvi42]

You can be disqualified for:
"membership or sponsorship in organizations which adversely affect the public's confidence in the space station or its partners."

Does that mean that a millionaire with a passion for space might be banned for... say... being a member of Greenpeace, because they might think badly of McDonell Douglas for its role as an arms manufacturer?

Maybe I'm being overly alarmist, but the implications that this clause can diqualify anyone who is even loosely related to anyone that does not wholeheartedly support large corporate power is a little disconcerting.

socially engineering space

[stinky wizzleteats]

Interesting.

Taking this thing to its logical extreme, one could easily imagine civil rights lawsuits regarding space access. I can just imagine the public debate on the Space Tourism Freedom act of 2020.

The restrictions are, of course, meaningless, because the bottom line is that money is the only thing that will get you into space.

This could make for an interesting precedent once we start deciding who can board the "ark" that we'll one day have to build to escape planetary catastrophe.

Well, this was interesting...

[PHAEDRU5]

(f) membership or sponsorship in organizations which adversely affect the confidence of the public in the integrity of, or reflecting unfavorably in a public forum on, any ISS Partner, Partner State or Cooperating Agency.

So, how about membership in the National Rifle Association? Veterans of Foreign Wars? Republican Party? Roman Catholic Church?

If you've ever publicly criticised NASA, you're SOL.

I mean, this single paragraph allows them to deny you for any or no reason at all.

Old West

[yndrd]

I seem to remember that the frontier was perfect for society's ne'er-do-wells and undesirables to go make something of themselves. Of course, most of them just failed to fit the current society's definition of desirable.

We might not want them to be tourists, but I'll have a rocketful of criminals for my space colony any day. Sometimes you need someone who can think outside the arbitrary limits of the law.

Seems to have worked pretty well for Australia, anyway.

The original 7 astronauts wouldn't qualify!

[ch-chuck]

At least from what you pick up from "The Right Stuff" drinkin' and driving was an admired ability amongst the eary crews. Not a very good role model tho, not at all.

Re:Who then?

[autopr0n]

Though Gates has done some good things with his money.. He's opened/equipped a library in TN, to start with.

Gates has done a hell of a lot more then that... He's spent more money tackling things like AIDS and vaccinations in africa and other poor parts of the world then most tech CEOs are worth.

Not that he isn't a bastard, but I don't think he would really want to spend money sending people to the moon, it dosn't really help anyone and it's already been done.

security clearance guidelines

[mibat]

I skimmed over the guidelines for selection in this document and they interestingly look VERY similar to the guidelines for a fed security clearance. (including those about drinking and moral misconduct, which I think are there to prevent blackmail being used to get classified information out of you) ie, if you are working at a military contractor, etc. I wonder if there's any correlation?

Form of convincing youth to be more moral?

[sean23007]

This could be a ploy by NASA to try to convince teenagers not to drink, lie or cheat if they want to be an astronaut. I don't know how well it would work, because most youth don't want to be astronauts right now, but it isn't a bad idea.

Just thought I'd submit this possibility for consideration.