Space Tourist Grounded 20
Midnight Thunder writes "There is an article over at the BBC stating that an NASA is refusing to allow a Russian-backed US businessman onto ISS. Maybe the 'I' doesn't stand for international?" The article suggests NASA would let him go if he had more training, which means he'll be up there eventually...
NASA is the roommate from hell (Score:2)
Hogwash.
Consider: You and NASA decide to rent an apartment, for which you split the rent. Then, as your moving in, NASA says that you can't have a friend overnight, even though you're taking care of them, feeding them, and they'll stay in your spare bedroom. Moreover, NASA doesn't even have a good reason for keeping your friend out. NASA is the roommate from Hell.
In any event, NASA won't have the final say on this one. When the guy flies up (on a Russian spacecraft), a Russian will be commanding the station. NASA ground control will have about as much to say about Tito boarding the station as the Japanese government had to say about the US Navy's Amature Submarine Captain Program.
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they never mention that (Score:2)
Major reasons for NASA (Score:4)
Wasted space. He is taking up space and money on a scientific mission. Not only that, but he is in no way prepared should any technical problems come up (not an engineer, scientist, or even mechanic). Maybe on a mission when we have everything running smoothly we can take some tourists, but we are still building this and testing it. It is just not the right time.
Re:NASA is the roommate from hell (Score:2)
Well, you kind of lied about having a fridge and a car, so you spend about two years getting them together for the apartment. In the interim, forced to rent a car and eat out every night because of the lack of furnishings, NASA has to struggle to keep the bank from foreclosing.
Once you finally get your $hit together and move in, you decide to throw a party (against the wishes of your good friend NASA) and invite your buddies over. Since you're already drunk and they don't have cars, you tell NASA to pick them up for you. They bring their own beer, fortunately, but when the party is over they leave it in the fridge and you don't let NASA drink any of it. It's your fridge, after all.
After the party there is puke everywhere and cigarette burns on NASA's nice new couch. You apologize sincerely, but still don't share the beer.
Neh
Re:Alternatively (Score:2)
Actually, this is the same guy who was trying to get onto Mir [slashdot.org] last year. He was instead told he'd get to go on ISS [slashdot.org] earlier this year.
The Russians think the Americans are just grandstanding here, trying to show who really runs ISS. Darned if they aren't right, too. Maybe next time they won't be two years late with their components for the bloomin' thing...
Re:Major reasons for NASA (Score:1)
Re:NASA is the roommate from hell (Score:2)
Re:Sharing and being nice to people (Score:2)
Mission Control: Shuttle, this is Mission Control. We'd like you to do some housekeeping...
Shuttle: Shut up, mission control! You're not the boss of me!
MC: Actually, Shuttle, we are the boss of you. And now, you can't come to our birthday party.
S: Fine! We didn't want to come to your birthday, anyway. You're a butthead!
MC: I know you are, but what am I?
S: Nuh-huh! I know you are, but what am I?!
MC: I know you are, but what am I?!
S: You!
MC: No, you! Shut up!
S: You shut up! I'm telling!
The whole thing went on like this for another hour, until Dan Goldin got on the line, and sent both the Shuttle, and Mission Control to timeouts in their rooms until they could be nice to each other again. Weird.
Sharing and being nice to people (Score:4)
- Don't hog the toys
- Don't call other people names
- Try to see the other person's point of view
Everyone's at fault here, and they're acting like children. The Russians make a decision without consulting their teammates. The other teammates throw a temper fit, stomp their feet, and refuse to cooperate. Then the Russians resort to name calling, saying things like "The Americans oppose the flight by their co-citizen because they want to show that they are the bosses who run the ISS project."It's like kindergarten for big kids.
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I think we must agree (Score:1)
The obvious issues are money and safety. The money offered seems hardly relevant. If we assume the cost of a shuttle mission is 500 million, then the purported 20 million is a mere 4% of mission cost, which is a pittance. The safety issue is very relevant. Astronauts/cosmonauts are generally extremely physically fit and highly trained, both technically and to handle crisis. A person without these qualities could critically endanger many lives.
The not obvious issue is political. If we allow this person to buy his way onto the shuttle, we will have little recourse when many others want on. We also must be concerned with the possibility of a catastrophic accident. NASA has a knack for bad luck, as Challenger illustrated, and we must consider the repercussions of losing one of these people in a preventable accident.
We also must consider the effect of the tourist in an environment where they do not belong. Most workers can tolerate an outsider for a short amount of time. We all have had to endure the journalist or manager interfering with our work for a few hours. I do not think we could tolerate the interference for days on end. This point was well illustrated with the submarine accident a few weeks ago. Few people are giving the sailors a break for being force to entertain dignitaries. The sailors are being held responsible for their actions, even if they were not given full opportunity to conduct the necessary operations.
Re:Well some facts might not hurt. (Score:1)
Now there's a hint for NASA. Either the U.S. Congress stops cutting back on space programs, or else they'll be forced to sit on the sidelines in 30 years or so. Not to sound trollish or anything, but everyone can see how China's on its way up, and I predict that in 20 years or so, they're gonna surpass the U.S. on the space race.
Heck, they might even pull a stunt like the one described on Arthur C. Clark's "2010", building a so-called space station for years only to have it blast off to cruise around the Solar System.
Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I
Well some facts might not hurt. (Score:1)
Nasa won't be flying him anywhere. His flight will be departing from Kazakistan or where ever their space center is. He'll be a Russian carry on. They'll be the ones responsible for his care and feeding. No one disuputes that. Also to be fair, the Russians are living hand to mouth so any money they can't get... Well let's just say that if NASA relents I won't be surprised to see Lenin wake up and do an interview with Larry King. Cause damn, to go from producing technical efforts envied by all the world to begging for hand outs with a gig as the ultimate chauffeur on the side, that's gotta sting a little. I mean, to be one of the people in their program you'd probably have to be fairly adept at choking back the bile.
Alternatively (Score:2)
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hey its his option (Score:1)
$30 million vacation... (Score:1)
OK, make the environmental controls run on Windows.
Various perspectives (Score:1)
That said, I doubt the Russians have a clear perspective on the matter themselves. Their space program is severely cash strapped, and this guy has a huge amount of money tucked away just for them which will be paid UPON his arrival at the space station. So they've got this huge carrot dangling in front of them, is it any wonder if they're a little less than clearheaded about the issue?
Space Tourists (Score:1)
Frost Pist? (Score:1)
Can't that dood wait until there are space hotels or something?
Re:Sharing and being nice to people (Score:1)
Let him go into space (Score:1)