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Space

Fabulous Prize: A Trip To The Intl. Space Station 117

Posted by timothy from the 26y/o-5'10"-155lbs-risk-tolerant-and-desperate dept.
dmatos writes: "Yet another game show (YAGS?) is going to send people off into space for winning. This time, however, it will be to the international space station, not the crummy old fungus infected mir. Now all you need to get into space is a good knowlege of trivia, and fluency in German. How long will it be before this plan is canceled as well?"
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Fabulous Prize: A Trip To The Intl. Space Station More

Fabulous Prize: A Trip To The Intl. Space Station

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  • MIR (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    "This time, however, it will be to the international space station, not the crummy old fungus infected mir"

    Okay, Timothy, I appreciate your patriotism, but I think the Russians should be commended for Mir. It amazes me that this piece of 15 year old technology is still functioning and useful today. And if I recall correctly, the USian space station (Skylab?) crashed into the ocean.

  • This is all fine and dandy, except for one problem - you're probably more likely to win the "Do you want to play for a Billion dollars? That's right, we said Billion" prize. Also, I'm 6'1"!!! Wait a minute... I know how they choose contestints, "23 years of age, under 6', under 180 pounds"! That rules out (100 - Difference in Florida vote)% of the people in the country. (If you can't subtract, that's about 99.991%). However, it's cool that someone might get to go to the ISS, but Survivor 2 is gonig to send someone to MIR... if it's still orbiting in another six months!

    The only thing worse than bad humor is really bad humor - that includes this comment
  • Space, the final frontier, these are the voyages of the:

    1. Idle Rich
    2. Non-Idle Rich
    3. Winners of Gameshow (read yutz)
    4. People who somehow persuaded the former USSR to fly yahoo's from the EU into space.
    5. Advertiser's logos (I can see it now, the Coca Cola Launch Countdown, the Prudential Spacewalk, and don't forget the Budweiser Space Frogs...)

    I guess I'm just trying to say that space is the coolest thing out there. Back in the 'good old days' only the biggest and baddest people (USA and USSR) could send people up there. Now its trickeld down to gameshow winner. My question is: Is this a good thing?

    Thanks for reading,

  • Re:187 pounds? (Score:2)

    by Anonymous Coward
    The comic book store guy from The Simpsons aptly sums up the mix of morbid obesity and socially inept arrogance that defines the average Linux user/criminal. Figure 1 shows the posterior of said criminal/Linux user, a product of 23 hours a day in a seated position, copious quantities of vienna sausages, and the inescapable pull of gravity:

    (_____|_____)
    Fig. 1.

    There are multiple issues immediately apparent, viz a viz sending said Linux user/criminal (hereafter referred to as fat fuck) on an extended space flight. They are as follows:

    1. Will new booster technology be necessary to lift the fat fuck to a stable orbit, along with a suitable payload of supplies and instruments?
    2. Will another booster be needed to deliver vienna sausages, Pringles, and Mountain Dew to the fat fuck in orbit?
    3. Once in orbit and free of the restraining force of gravity, will the fat fuck's ass expand to fill any confining structure, or will it become amoeba like, using fleshy pseudopods to envelop and consume other astronauts?
    4. Will the Hubble Space Telescope be able to derive the Hubble Constant by observing the fat fuck's ass, and if so, will it validate an open-state [goatse.cx] or closed-state theory for the expansion of the fat fuck's ass?
    5. Is it possible that the gravitational presence of fat fuck's fat ass in orbit could possibly exacerbate the Chandler wobble and endanger all life on earth?
    6. When the fat fuck is brought down to Earth, how do we determine who is landing on who?
    These are all very salient and important issues to be considered if we are going to send a Linux user/criminal into space.

    *BSD users, on the other hand, tend to be tall, thin, and generally preying mantis-like. Although they suffer from the same social ineptitude as the average criminal/Linux user, the jury is still out on the effects of sending them on a long term spaceflight. More research must be done.

    Sincerely,
    Dr. I.M. PiffleWhiz, Ph.D. Astrophysics

  • big ol' load o crap! (Score:4)

    by neowintermute ( 81982 ) <poet@@@hyperpoem...net> on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @07:34PM (#563534) Homepage
    Ok, lets think about the feasability of this...

    "``The person is not just a passenger, but has to participate,'' Grabosch said. "

    yeah right.

    see
    http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts -7 6/factshts/asseltrn.html

    "Pilot astronaut applicants must also meet the following requirements prior to submitting an application:

    (1) At least 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft; flight test experience is highly desirable.

    (2) Ability to pass a NASA Class I space physical, which is similar to a military or civilian Class I flight physical, and includes the following specific standards for vision: distance visual acuity - 20/50 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20, each eye.

    (3) Height between 64 and 76 inches.
    ...
    Applicants who meet the basic qualifications are evaluated by discipline panels during a week-long process of personal interviews, thorough medical evaluations, and orientation. The panel's recommendations are based on the applicant's education, training, and experience as well as unique qualifications and skills.
    ...
    Final selection is based on satisfactory completion of the 1-year program. "

    how likely do you think it is that there are a lot of game show contestants who are going to qualify for space travel?

    until a few years from now, when we have luxury class space flights, I dont see this happening. All the article says is that some dumb tv company is planning it and putting money towards it. Not that it's going to happen any time soon.

    notice:

    "the flights, which are to take place between 2002 and 2008."

    ___________________________
    http://www.hyperpoem.net [hyperpoem.net]
  • ... is 85 kgs.

  • I think it would be pretty cool to get a ride on the Vomit Comet. Even though it only lasts for a couple minutes, the zero-G experience is still pretty cool. I just love those videos of people floating around, playing with suspended blobs of water.

    Note: the Vomit Comit is a plane that goes up really high and then flies downward in a way that is perfectly coordinated with gravity. (It free falls)

  • Al Gore invented the German language :-)

    Just couldnt resist. I personally would have preferred a President Gore over this funny fellow youre getting now.

    But, theres an upside for us Europeans: Boy, do we ever expect the dollar to fall once everybody finds out how intellectually challenged George W. really is :-)
  • It has a parabolic flight pattern. The Zero-G portion of the flight occurs for less than 5 minutes. Also.. and I don't know if this warrants a post, the space station is a very hazardous, very inhospitable place. I wouldn't want to go until they get holodecks and sonic showers installed.
  • I don't understand... you think the game show wouldn't pay for the trip?
  • Not all manned launches are on the Shuttle. The Russians are using the "tried and true" Soyuz capsule, and that's what the contest "winners" will be riding.
  • And this is related to the US government in what way? The game show people are contracting with the Russians to send the winner up. This will not be funded by the US!
  • I'm sure that Al and George both spent alot of time in space during those "young and irresponsible" years...

    Nader, OTOH, is probably spacing out right now...
  • You're right, I'm a dumbfuck.

    You're tired of Slashdot ads? Get junkbuster [junkbusters.com] now!
  • He was military in the 60s.
  • This is slashdot. Remember, we're talking about people who drink more pop then water. :-)

    Oh, and I didn't want to offend anyone. However, even if I'm not sexist, the quiz shows are. 86% of "Who Wants to be a Millionare" contestents are male. That % was even higher during the beginning of the show, but people complained. It's a shame, really.
  • For the ride down they can make it cheaper and send them down on Mir.

    And just think! That would be a hell of a ride down!

    "We're on the express elevator to hell! Going down!"

  • err.. if you don't get this, I fear for your children. me = geek = addicted to cocacola.. in space, you get no cocacola, thus I == irritated geek IFF you send my ass into space, thus, I no go.
  • The teacher who died was Kristen McAulliff (I know I slaughtered the spelling there), Sally Ride was, I believe the first US woman in space...I forget in what capacity though.

    Space travel is dangerous....I sure whoever went up (if this isn't just vapor, which I suspect) would be fully warned...and I really don't think that it makes much of a difference if a game show contestant rather than a regular astronaut gets blown up....well, I can think of some differences, like alot of people wouldn't mind...but that would be rude :-)

    And still, despite the danger, the US has only had 3 major accidents related to space travel, and one of those did not result in fatalities. Pretty damn good record for a field like spaceflight.
  • MOOSE, a NASA concept where you ride a large foam filled bag back down to Earth, using the foam as an ablative heat shield and then open a parachute for the last few km. Lets put the "survive?" back into survivor.
  • Anyhow, the prize there is "only" a suborbital flight (around 90 minutes), a week at the ISS sounds like a better deal...

    Well, if you're one of the 30% or so who get space sick (and you can't know in advance), one week at the ISS isn't a good deal at all, since you'll spend most of it feeling very bad.

    Happened to a Japanese journalist and the newspaper hardly got its money's worth.

  • We should just send all the Game Show hosts (and contestants (ptooe)), Telephone sanitisers, Hairdressers and lawyers into space.


    We could tell them about a wonderful new life on a far and distant planet, and then leave them there all on their own.

    Hmm.. Sounds like something out of Hitch Hikers guide to the galaxy :)
    Oh wait..
    ~matt~
    0
    o
    .
    ><>
  • The name of the game show is really YAGiS, to capitalise on the popularity of /.

    When are the geeks of /. going to figure out some internet telephony, and start doing some interesting GiS episodes where everyone is in some remote location?

    the AC
  • You're gonna have to wait until mid-january when they actually *have* an airlock on the ISS, erm Station Alpha :)

    --
  • They used to send their criminals and other misfits on ships to North-America.

    A few centuries later bad North-American television-shows have dictated the masses bad taste. So now they're sending their intellectuals into space on a bad television-show where they're safe of bad tv-shows.
    ....ehm wait a minute..
  • I'd give my right arm (or lung, if they'll take it) to go into space, even for say 90 minutes on any of the old rockets.

    But then, all manned flights are on the Shuttle nowadays, aren't they...?

    I guess I'll just have to wait for the Roton [rotaryrocket.com]... but by that time I'll be 40, fat and ugly :(

  • They should contact NASA BEFORE TELlING SUCH A LIE!


  • Thats because these are the figures that are more likely to make you support all those G's you need to put up with in trainning and flight. Shorter people have an edge here...I'm saved!
  • There is all ready an agreement buy NBC to show the proposed series Desination MIR. With the planned demise of MIR the focus has shifted to the planned Russian module on the new International Space station. I guess it will be a race to see which deep pocket can get the first Civilian to the Space station. Go here [nbci.com] to register for the contest or try here [space.com] for more details about the proposed show.
  • According to the BNSC (British National Space Council :D), there have been ~400 people in space. Say 20 fatalities, maybe 30. That's a 0.05 - 0.075 chance I'm not coming back - I like those odds! (Assuming of course I do go to space...)
  • Someone explain why this comment is so called "funny".


  • I still find it inconceivable that NASA was formed in 1958 and in *less than eleven years* they got men on the moon and back! Compared to that, what has happened in the last thirty years has been close to nil.
  • Textmode station control in Win2005 Advanced Spaceserver (Service Pack 17):
    -----

    C:\IIS_CTRL> ops 101 pro

    Read error in \\iis_ctrl\orbital_thrusters
    Abort, Retry, Ignore? R

    Read error in \\iis_ctrl\lifesupport
    Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail? RRRRRRRRRRRRRR

    General failure in \\iis_ctrl
    Abort, Ignore, Fail?

    -----
    <heard on station voice recorder> AAARRRGRGGHHH!!!

    -----
    yes,I've actually gotten a message with A,I,F as the only choices, I don't want to know how/why...
    BRTB
  • I just love how the US Goverment uses our taxes...

  • More or less, anyway. I could go on a rant about why does the US keep avoiding the metric system but it's been discussed before [slashdot.org].

    At least you don't have to worry about the Russians forgetting to convert units and sending you into the solar panels instead of the airlock...

    --
    BACKNEXTFINISHCANCEL

  • Dude, I'll be 23 on April 25th! You bastards!

    Oh well, I guess I won't have to learn German now....
    ---
    pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate [ncsu.edu].
  • neowintermute:
    how likely do you think it is that there are a lot of game show contestants who are going to qualify for space travel?
    Most black-diamond skiers would qualify and there are quite a few of those.
  • There was one civilian (a teacher I believe) who went into into space. Well, I suppose at least a part of the way, seeing as how the Challenger just happened to explode en route.

    Perhaps parts of a civilian have made it into space.

  • hey.. I'm not going into space, astronauts are not allowed to drink carbonated drinks. You'd have a seriously irritated geek on your hands if you shot me into space.
  • I agree with you. Also, fungus? In space?

    You're tired of Slashdot ads? Get junkbuster [junkbusters.com] now!
  • But having sex in zero-g? Hell, even *I* would take a little hard vacuum for that...
  • I guess I'm just trying to say that space is the coolest thing out there. Back in the 'good old days' only the biggest and baddest people (USA and USSR) could send people up there.

    This has not changed a bit. It's just that, today, we have more rich countries able to launch things in orbit. The money used in this dumb things should/could be used in a more appropriate way, like doing research.

    You're tired of Slashdot ads? Get junkbuster [junkbusters.com] now!
  • Anything that gets people into space and more people caring about getting to space is a good thing. Really? The fuck how? It isn't making my life better.

    You're tired of Slashdot ads? Get junkbuster [junkbusters.com] now!
  • That was the whole point of setting up NASA, right? So that Space wasn't controlled by the military - back in the 60s there was big competition between the US armed forces as to who got to control the space programme. NASA was the solution to that. j.

  • Re:Coming soon (Score:3)

    by cybermage ( 112274 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @08:09PM (#563574) Homepage Journal
    I look forward to the once-a-week finale when someone gets shoved out the airlock.

    Hmmm. Can't decide who to vote for this time. Oh wait, 'hatch' is kinda synonymous with air lock...I've got an idea.

    --

  • Re:maybe... (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    AFAIK, nobody needs NASA's permission to get things into Space. NASA is the american agency, not the agency (they could still send them to space thru a base in the Caribbean, for example). Get it?
  • So's nearly everyone in europe who's done national service.

    Having been in the military doesn't make you military

  • This is a really great time to be alive. When my dad was a kid, they were just starting to put objects into space, Sputnik being the first. And now we are seeing game shows that are promising to put normal people into space if they can answer a few questions right? How long will it be before we take the next step and begin to colonize space? I will admit that colonization of other planets is far off, but how long it is before we take on the task of creating the orbiting cities of modern Sci-Fi and such anime as Gundam W? I wouldn't be surprized if, by the time I reach 100, we have at least the plans for this goliath cities in space.

    All of these vast predictions are probably no more than dillusions of gradeur. The only way that we could get the manufacturing power to create these cities is to have a sort of global unity that isn't currently conceivable. So maybe these predictions are as much vapor as a completely unbuggy of Microsucks winblows is, but isn't it neat to see how far we've come in a relatively short period of time? The space frontier not be developing as quicklt as the tech frontier is but it is intersting to see that we are reaching a point where the next step of any significance to take is to begin colonizing space.
  • make your own life better, you loser. some of us care about the future of our species
  • In order to care about the future of our species, we first have to respect ourselves. I don't think we have reached a sufficient level of self-respect with each other yet to make space exploration a good thing "for the species". Do you think it is fair to let people starve while 5 billion dollar space ships are being built?

    You're tired of Slashdot ads? Get junkbuster [junkbusters.com] now!
  • air force pilots tend to be shorter (being tall is a liability..might get your head shot off), because of cockpit restraints. thus, all space equipment is designed around the average height of pilots.
  • "Contestants must be at least 23 years old, no taller than six feet, and no heavier than 187 pounds"

    Wonder where they got that figure. Time to start cutting weight!


    __
  • THe prize was a trip "in to space" with the shuttle (I think). At the end NOONE received the prize... That sucked... And it was the only time I've participated since the odds are so bad in lottery... but hey.. it was SPACE!!!.. :)
    --
    "No se rinde el gallo rojo, sólo cuando ya está muerto."

  • There we go (Score:4)

    by toofast ( 20646 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @06:44PM (#563583)
    That just eliminates 99% of all canadians =)

    PS: I'm canadian... But I do weigh 195...
  • The ISS is 'decorated' to support 7 people. According to the contract 3 of 7 are American, 3 Russian and 1 of an other participating organisation. Sinds Germany is part of ESA, I wondering when they are willing to give up their seat just to send some tourist into space instead of doing some major research...

  • well, i wish they would quit teasing about this sort of thing. I think that is everyones dream to go into space, only a priveleged few have done it, and no civilians (to my knowledge).... i bet you could get some pretty cool pictures for the family scrapbook (here is your aunt maggie... here is the earth from space......)
  • Just like we learned from the movie Armageddon [imdb.com], anyone can go into space!

    -----
    If Bill Gates had a nickel for every time Windows crashed...
  • I would much rather give up a vertebra, or two, since I meet all requirements (including the German one) except that height one, by a lousy 0.67" (1.85m=72.8346in; I'm 73.5in tall).

    Could the 6feet have some margin of error, especially given that it was certainly converted from cm? Maybe if I did the conversion myself (hehe)?

    Or maybe if I wear all black and keep up the chain smoking, they'll take me for a German national, and overlook those 0.67inches (ahem, 1.7cm).
  • The required age, height and weight corresponds to NASA's requirements for astronauts.

    NASA want people to have experience--the requirement is at least a Bachelor's degree in a related field and three years of professional experience. Apparently the quiz portion of the contest is substituted.

    The height restriction is for space suits, acceleration couches, etc. They don't work very well if you don't fit in them, and they like changing the expression to "all fit one size" to save money.

    The weight restriction is probably related to the above and the fact that the cost to lauch to orbit is about $10,000 U.S. per pound or $4,500 U.S. per Kg (convert the currency yourself-the U.S. dollar is an international standard).

    These restrictions are almost the same as they were at the beginning of U.S. spaceflight. And yes, I looked into being an astronaut. The only thing holding me back from applying is my vision (must be 20/80 to be a pilot and 20/200 to be mission specialist), two more years experience and about 15 pounds (6.8 Kg)!

  • The way to make the most progress in any field is always through war or the possibility of making money (just like this thing we call the internet). If it draws more attention to the space program, and thus more funding, I'm all for it.
  • We, geeks, HAVE TO get on there!!! It is our last chance (final frontier) to get a chance to get a chick!!!! Then, we can permanently remove ./masturbate | cry from our .login
  • > and no civilians (to my knowledge)....

    There have been plenty of civilians - not every astronaut is from the armed forces, right? Plenty of scientists up there. A senator, too.
  • That rules out 99% of Slashdot readers. Most of us are a little chunky from sitting at the computer all day eating chips. The comic book store guy from The Simpsons comes to mind.
  • AHA! You're discussing "pilot astronauts". On STS, that's only the Commander and the Pilot. The ISS crew only needs one "pilot astronaut" at a time. These guys would more likely be titled Mission or Payload Specialists--and yes, they'd be taught to run a payload. But I could train a chimp to run the payload I work on...=)
    --
  • there are several people that I'd like to reward with a trip to mars... this would suffice, but I'm afraid they'd be able to make it back... oh, sorry, I mean, I feel the trip would be too short, and they wouldn't enjoy it as much.

  • Finally! A Solution! (Score:5)

    by KingJawa ( 65904 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @06:50PM (#563595) Homepage
    Can Al Gore speak German?

    What about Dubya?

    Can we make exceptions?
  • I'm fine with the weight requirement, but I'm going to have to have cross sections of my legs removed starting tomorrow in order to shorten myself enough to meet the height requirement! I slouch a lot anyway, I wonder if they would take that into account.

    Damn you Mir! Could you not have stayed aloft long enough for Destination Mir?!?!
  • I think it will be more political than that. If any of the other countries want to send someone up to the space station, Nasa will probably have to let them.

    Otherwise, what's the point of helping the US fund their space station?

    Also, I'd be surprised if the contestent will be that big. He/she will probably be around 5' and 125 pounds. Why? Fuel savings! Or you can use the extra weight allowance to send other things up into space, say, 60 pounds of cremated remains.

    In the end, it's all about the money.

    Later
    Erik Z

  • NASA schmnasa (Score:3)

    by Argy ( 95352 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @07:12PM (#563598)
    > ``We will include appropriate sponsors, merchandising, books, and computer games,'' Grabosch said. ``We need all these revenues in order to finance this project.''

    Sure they glossed over asking NASA or the ISS about this. But say you've been on the ISS a couple months, hear a knock on the airlock, and see some bloke with a keg of St. Pauli Girl, fresh T-shirts, and the newly released Playstation IV. You gonna turn 'em away?
  • well....
    we know that fungus is inherrant to the human existence. what will we do with a fungi infested
    space-domain? we are, after all, a biological species.
    can we guaratee that space flightees will enjoy anything more than green goo?
  • ISS is habitated by 2 americans, 2 russians, and one person from the other countries in round robin fashion.

    Though i seriously doubt that Germany will waste their chance of visiting ISS on a tv show winner.
  • I actually read the article and although the company mentioned is german, I don't see anywhere that it's even going to be a german show or anything having to do with germany!
  • [warning: apology in advance - offtopic rant about incorrect moderation , mostly caused by lack of caffeine and sleep deprivation]

    1. How is this 'overrated'? Maybe I was wrong about the number of civilians we've sent to space, but that'd warrant a correctionary reply, not an overrated moderation.
    2. Why did it just show as (Score:0) and not (Score:0, Overrated)?
    BRTB
  • This is an international space station. Meaning that NASA has not the last say.
  • 23 years of age, under 6', under 180 pounds"! That rules out (100 - Difference in Florida vote)% of the people in the country

    Maybe the /male/ people. I know plenty of 23 year old females who meet that requirement. You seem to assume that since it's space(science) related, the contestants must be male. (Sorry, I'm taking a class on gender equity in science and I've started noticing this sort of thing). And those requirements are necessary. American space suits are not built to accomodate anyone taller than 6' or shorter than 5', so it's a safety hazard to have people outside the size range.
  • To get predictions of satellite visibility, visit heavens-above.com [heavens-above.com]. Enter your location, and it can give you times and locations of flybys by satellites such as the ISS or Mir.

    Also, check out the Iridium flare section, 'cept you need a 1km accuracy on your location for those.

  • Nasa has built most of the thing, invested the most money. Nasa has all the say, just as an investor in a company and owns 85% of the stock basically overrules everyone else.
  • Get a fscking clue, troll. You have to be under 6 feet or you won't fit into the Soyuz.
  • FORMER Military

    He's a US Senator.. which i'm pretty sure precludes him from being a serving member of the armed services.

    Might make him GOVERNMENT to some peoples minds.

    LOTS of civilian payload specialists tho.

  • > I guess I'm just trying to say that space is
    > the coolest thing out there.

    Okay, I won't pick any nits and go off on the thermodynamic propeties of a vacuum ;)

    > Back in the 'good old days' only the biggest
    > and baddest people (USA and USSR) could send
    > people up there.

    The phrase "good old days" is kinda relative... I figure I know the timeline you're talking about, but to me the phrase brings up different memories. I missed out on Sputnik, Mercury 6, the first woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova-Nikolayeva), the whole glorious Apollo series...

    My memories start kicking in with Skylab and the Apollo/Soyuz docking in '75.

    > Now its trickeld down to gameshow winner. My
    > question is: Is this a good thing?

    I honestly don't know. From my frame of reference it seemed people were getting excited by the first few shuttle launchs (not to mention Challenger), now we're lucky if they even make the news.

    I'll just keep watching and hoping that we'll keep going - people spend too much time joking/bitching about recent failures while the things that really work get buried on page Z (if they're reported at all).

    Make all the lame metric conversion jokes you want, I'll keep following things like Pathfinder, NEAR, Cassini (& Huygens soon), Deep Space 1, Stardust, and you go Galileo!

  • Re:big ol' load o crap! (Score:4)

    by jpatokal ( 96361 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @07:52PM (#563610) Homepage
    Pilot astronaut applicants must also meet the following requirements prior to submitting an application:

    Yes, pilot astronauts, as in the guys who actually fly the Space Shuttle. The requirements for "mission specialists" (which is what our lucky gameshow winner would become) are much lower. After all, they let John Glenn fly again...

    Cheers,
    -j.

  • I know that geeks can stay in front of a computer for extended periods of time, but alot of people would go insane when they are stuck in a puny, fragile tin can that's surrounded by vacuum. Then again, the specifications for the winner are so strict that they probably have a specific person in mind.
  • The winner has to fit in to the one man, homemade rocket that the show has built to send you up in.

    It's not like once you've traveled thousands of miles to the ISS that they won't let you in.

  • I wonder why it is all-of-the sudden ok for civilians to go into space. Is it because it has been 15 or so years since Sally Ride, a schoolteacher who was granted a space trip from NASA, died on take off on a space Shuttle?

    There has been this instance and talk about a 'Surveyor' series on board a space station.

    Has the technology made it safer (NASA updating its Shuttle computers, ha!) or has the public just forgot what happened to Challenger in 1986.

  • Ooold Idea (Score:3)

    by Snaller ( 147050 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @10:22PM (#563614) Journal
    This is rapidly becomming an old and almost outdated notion! Danish TV has been running a gameshow this year, with an initial lineup of 5000 (!) people, the crowd has been whittled down to 10. Come january those 10 will be shipped of to Cape Canaveral to undergo final testing, training, and weeding out to find that one person who will be... the first dane in space! Ho hum, I think the space shuttle is primitive - I want something with antigravity :)

    --
  • The Idle and Non-Idle rich should learn from those who paid western climbers to practically drag them up Mt. Everest. The result can be tragic. Read Into Thin Air [outsidemag.com] by John Krakauer.
  • I hear ya. when they were going to send up a 'winner' in Mir I thought it was incredible. A couple of days later the Mir gets deorbit plans again and then plans to stay up. The commercial aired a few more times and then Mir gets deorbit plans again... orbit, deorbit... orbit...psyche...deorbit

    Such a viscious cycle for space junkies to have to live through.

    btw... some sultan was in space as a 'mission specialist' not to long ago on the shuttle. I don't remember his name but there was a bit of discussion on the net about his credentials being a little 'fluffed' and him having bought his ride for quite a few pennies. I am not knocking him for it. If I could afford to kick around a sultans cash to hitch a ride on the shuttle I would.

  • I believe that quite a few of the "payload speicalsts" on the space shuttle have been civilians. Christa McAullif and John Glenn spring to mind, but don't quite count. I think Sally Ride was a civilian as well.
  • The Europeans have, and it's quite successful, commercially. Germany is part of Europe. But that doesn't factor in here, since they bought the space tickets from Russia. Read the article, will you?
  • You forget, my friend..carbonated sodas aint the only source of caffiene.
    If I was going into space..i'd keep my suply of Penguin Mints [peppermints.com] high.
  • ...the person fails physical fitness tests. Space travel, exiting Earth's gravitational field, and re-entry, are all very stressful activities which take years off astronaut's lives - who are in peak physical condition. Just think what it would to to Joe Couchpatato.

    Also, what gives them the right to claim such a thing? What makes them special? It's an international station. Does this mean anyone can? Who granted them permission? It's not going to fly.

    -------
    CAIMLAS

  • Description (Score:3)

    by atrowe ( 209484 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @06:54PM (#563624)
    "from the 26y/o-5'10"-155lbs-risk-tolerant-and-desperate dept."

    Is that a description of the winner of the contest or Timothy?

  • Coming soon (Score:5)

    by Hobobo ( 231526 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @06:55PM (#563625)
    From the people who brought you Survivor, and Survivor: Austrilian Outback, it's... Survivor: In Outerspace. Richard Hatch may have been able to eat bugs and endure the harsh environment of a deserted island, but can he handle a space shuttle toilet?

    Each day, one outcast will be voted off the space shuttle and shot into space. Who will be the sole survivor?

  • Comment removed (Score:3)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @06:55PM (#563626)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • A press statement [brainpool.de] released Dec 12, 2000.

    It says among the things already mentioned that candidate selection will start in the autumn of 2001. About 100 TV shows will be made, but nothing is said about the final contestants becoming millionaires...

  • Yes. (Score:4)

    by juuri ( 7678 ) on Tuesday December 12, 2000 @07:24PM (#563630) Homepage
    Anything that gets people into space and more people caring about getting to space is a good thing.

    People tend to forget everyone used to say is it a good thing for everyone to have a car, to fly, to have a tv even? Well it might not be... but its great for everyone to have the choice. I'm all for commercialization of space. Hell if people saw what typical advertising budgets were for some of the fortune 500 and how little it costs to get into space compared I think they would be for it too. Does it really matter to you if this shuttle mission is sponsored by Coke? If they want to spend advertising dollars on something a bit more worthwhile than a 30 second spot during the SuperBowl; let them!

    I don't care if its a Nike shuttle using Pepsi fuel on Sears Mission #17; if it can get me into space. Yay!
  • I apologize for this. It does say that the recruitment is being done in five European countries. However, since every specific mention of a place or company was German, I assumed that speaking German would be one of the prerequisites for winning the game show (or even understanding it). You are right. They could hold this show in any number of languages, and english is probably going to be one of them, given the widespread use of it within europe.
  • WHSmith's is a national newsagent chain in the UK and they are selling trips into space for 100,000ukp. No real details are given, other than the 100,000ukp is just a deposit and they don't guaruntee you'll get into space.
  • Imagine the kind of technology NASA could create with the cash that Survivor/Millionaire/Who wants to be an International Space Station Astronaut would generate. Would the interest generated by an increased popularity destroy pure research? Why do these keep getting canned? If Bill Gates wants to build IIS 2005.1 I say we let him. (you wouldn't get me on it though)
  • hi all (george here)

    well well well. first of all i have to wonder if this is legal, will nasa just let some dope who won a game show on the ISS!! it seems to me that it would be awful risky, what if he hoses something up then everybody on board is screwed and they will probably be sued by the russians because god do they ever need money. turnips apparently aren't selling very well this year

    anyhow i (george) have a great idea if they REALLY want to make a game show about outer space. call it SPOUSE LOUSE and have the contestants be men who are sick of their wives, they get together and answer trivia questions and do feats of strength and things like that. whoever wins the game or has the most points or whatever gets to have their spouse put on a big rocket that gets launched into deep space, towards saturn or something like that.

    also they could have five BONUS questions, if you get all five right then they launch the rocket into the sun. i only say this because my wife has been bugging the crap out of me lately, she wants me to go see a movie called snow falling on cedars, she says "george let's watch snow falling on cedars" and i say no, let's not watch that movie!! god!! it is very irritating and so that is why i would support SPOUSE LOUSE and watch it every week and even try to be a contestant if she doesn't shape up!! hehe!! actually i am just kidding, she makes very good french toast so the bickering is probably worth it

    your bud

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