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Fabulous Prize: A Trip To The Intl. Space Station
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?"
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,
(_____|_____)
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:
- Will new booster technology be necessary to lift the fat fuck to a stable orbit, along with a suitable payload of supplies and instruments?
- Will another booster be needed to deliver vienna sausages, Pringles, and Mountain Dew to the fat fuck in orbit?
- 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?
- 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 or closed-state theory for the expansion of the fat fuck's ass?
- 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?
- 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
Ok, lets think about the feasability of this...
s -7 6/factshts/asseltrn.html
"``The person is not just a passenger, but has to participate,'' Grabosch said. "
yeah right.
see
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/st
"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
The name of the game show is really YAGiS, to capitalise on the popularity of /.
/. going to figure out some internet telephony, and start doing some interesting GiS episodes where everyone is in some remote location?
When are the geeks of
the AC
Hemos is like...sci-fi fans;he thinks technology is cool, but he hasn't bothered to understand the science it's based on
They should contact NASA BEFORE TELlING SUCH A LIE!
Visit my website xpenguin.com -- A linux penguin website
Textmode station control in Win2005 Advanced Spaceserver (Service Pack 17):
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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?
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<heard on station voice recorder> AAARRRGRGGHHH!!!
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yes,I've actually gotten a message with A,I,F as the only choices, I don't want to know how/why...
BRTB
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.
How we know is more important than what we know.
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.
Absit Invidia
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.
--
Some people have a way with words, and some people, um, thingy.
"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!
__
That just eliminates 99% of all canadians =)
PS: I'm canadian... But I do weigh 195...
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)!
science is a religion
Hi! This is the Sig, blatantly attached to the end of this comment.
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?!?!
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
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
Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
> ``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?
Also, check out the Iridium flare section, 'cept you need a 1km accuracy on your location for those.
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 :)
--
If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
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.
Prospecting Stinks. Stop Wasting Time on Cold Calling.
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.
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CAIMLAS
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Is that a description of the winner of the contest or Timothy?
-atrowe: Card-carrying Mensa member. I have no toleranse for stupidity.
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?
Too bad.
Speaking of the ISS, if you want to know where it is, go here. That page shows the location of the ISS. If you go to JTrack3D, you can see the location of quite a few satellites, as well as the ISS and Mir.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
A press statement 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...
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 do not moderate.
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.
It may look like I'm doing nothing, but I'm actively waiting for my problems to go away.
--Scott Adams
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
-gbd