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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.
If NASA is doing background checks, all the more reason to post as an AC
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.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
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.
That kills the potential CEO and politician markets...
I'm much funnier now that I'm a subscriber.
looks like you all can not go.
They should also include the ban on people who cannot figure out the presidential ballots. so, that cuts out flordia as well.
And more interestingly, will they hold up once space is commercialized?
Technical Writer?
Just like if you are a fucking unrepentant drunk you don't get a new liver.
Unless you are a baseball player.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
Would the new National ID card be enough to get me on the shuttle? If it's good enough for the airlines, it should be good enough for NASA.
AngryArmadillo
No space for you!
All this does is conform what i knew already, I"M NOT GOING INTO OUTER SPACE, or even close to it for that matter, hell, i've never even been in a plane. Just wait till you can't fly in an airplane until they confirm you don't lie, hack, drink, do drugs that are deemed illegal, or, for god's sake, have a criminal record. All of which i have done or do (i don't lie anymore, at least)
I would like some milk from the milkman's wife's tits
Y not the other way around, launch all the garbage up there and make earth a cleaner place :)
NASA's new social engineering department...
Next time I got up to visit the ISS I'll make sure that I lie to them about my drinking problem.
It looks like if you have a history of drinking, lying and cheating you won't be going into space anytime soon
Well thank GOD that's a new policy, as those traits fit just about every Mercury-Gemini-Apollo astronaut!
I'm a regular consumer of wine, with my dinners.
This means I can't go to space???
This applies just to the space station, it seems, not to space in general. The thing to remember is that NASA has no real authority over space -- It's just space, it doesn't belong to anyone. They *do* have authority, however, over the facilities that we put into space, so they get to call the shots on the space station.
Technical Writer?
It looks like if you have a history of .. lying .. you won't be going into space anytime soon, no matter how much money you have
Gee, sounds like Billy Gates, Sun, HP, the Govt themselves, Adobe, even slashdot, wont be headed to space. Any others?
The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
doesn't include Bacardi 151...
michael-
You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
I didn't even know NASA was into the commercial travel they're talking about limiting. In fact, I thought they were upset the Russians were selling tickets.
Just out of curiosity, what difference does it make if I drink or not, if I am to buy a ticket? Will Greyhound and Ramada Inn be next?
I think I'll just continue to use the shuttle I've built in my back yard... no, wait, that was a bong. In any event, it'll get you high! (j/k)
It's easy to stand out when the general level of competence is so low.
These are the kind of rules that will never change
Come on. By the time you and I get into space (if we aren't too old), these rules will be changed over 100 times. Think about it.
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
"if you have a history of drinking, lying and cheating you won't be going into space anytime soon"
Hmm so that rules out most of russia
A candidate's past and present conduct must be assessed, according to the criteria, with disqualification considered in the case of delinquency or misconduct in prior employment or military service.
So it's not only a background check, it's a popularity contest!
Seriously, anyone with a chip on their shoulder can tell a story about how someone regularly sneaked a bunch of beer and got drunk while working as an usher in a movie theater when they were 19, and keep one from participating.
A little too far, I suppose.
You can't go to space because you took drugs or you took drugs because you could not go to space?
Buy a Nintendo DS Lite
Seems like these qualifications are awfully subjective and would make it easy for NASA to block anybody they thought was undesirable. There's a LOT of room for interpretation.
And to think it took them two years of work to come up with this document.
Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do.
Uh, yeah, we wouldn't want to have anyone who uses "intoxicating beverages to excess" to be on a space station with a bunch of Russians.
There goes my chance of seeing the adverse affects of alcohol in space. >,
PayPal $$ if you sign up for free offers (eBay, cred cards, e
Really sounds like NASA thought this one out, if you have ever done anything wrong you cant go. Wow, good going NASA. 63 trillion in tax money might have been put it to this
NASA guy 1: Can you some on the Space Station?
NASA guy 2: Dont think so
NASA guy 1: No smokers then. Thats the end of the list. Lets take a 6 million doller brake and drink a 100,000 cup of coffee!
NASA guy 2: WOOT!
Mikey
I've always been the kinda guy to fall for the girl dressed like an eskimo.
The NASA pdf says 'This document is limited to defining the process and criteria for selection, assignment, training, and certification of IIS (Expedition and Visiting) crewmembers'.
The headline seems to imply NASA will keep everyone that dosent qualify out of space. But really they just dont want drunks mingling with scientists. Those crazy drunks over at the x prize are still going.
Congress may hold funding for NASA until there is an exception made for them.
Fight Spammers!
You'd think by now they would have come up with a way to filter out these damn page widening posts. It ruins a person's viewing/reading experience...
Most people would die sooner than think; in fact, they do.
Subject line says it all, really.
Commercial spacelines wouldn't be using NASA facilities anyway; they're too expensive.
Sean Ellis
Follow OfQuack's antics on Twitter.
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.
Sent from your iPad.
I know I'm sick of those people from ruining my space flights.
Robotiq.com is heavily tested on animals
--
Evan "Cheap Joke" E.
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
So I'm out. :-) But at least I have the consolation of knowing that Hollywood is out too.
Other disqualifying traits: ... membership or sponsorship in organizations which adversely affect the public's confidence in the space station or its partners.
/. community.
... so much for the
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble... can't we just go to Starbuck's for coffee?
"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.
There are a thousand forms of subversion, but few can equal the convenience and immediacy of a cream pie -Noel Godin
We should build one huge spaceship and put all our hairdressers, telephone sanitisers, insurance salesman, management consultants, TV producers and public relations executives into it. Send them off to another planet somewhere. I'm sure they'll do just fine building a new civilization.
Check out my podcast: DreamStation.cc Video Game Show
I waste more time reading your reply than the original post. Damn! Now I'm wasting someone else's time...
-- SIGFPE
It would be nasty if you drank too much and puked in a zero-g environment.
Of course, being a liar, you'd just deny it.
How could you follow it up by cheating in space? Maybe you could turn in some other astronaut's code as your own.
.. you can always experience the rush of an piloting a US nuclear submarine during an emergency surfacing...
>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.
Sounds like a slap in the face of George W. Bush. I *knew* NASA was full of liberals and hippies!
It looks like getting on the shuttle is less hassle than getting on an airplane.
- Adam
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.
(d) habitual use of intoxicating beverages to excess; (e) abuse of narcotics, drugs, or other controlled substances
/.
So far so good. I can probably pass the habitual use and abuse tests.
(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.
Damn. I belong to
...leave the fun people down here.
Looks like I'll be stuck here on Earth for awhile.
Not if you get drunk and manage to lie/cheat your way onto a ship.
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.
668: Neighbour of the Beast
It looks like if you have a history of drinking, lying and cheating you won't be going into space anytime soon. Unless you're a celebrity or stinkin' rich, of course. And if you're both you might as well be strapped into that cockpot right now. If, to pick a name at random, Michael Jackson wanted to go into orbit, can you imagine NASA saying NO to the publicity? I can't. (although there is something to be said for the possibility of the National Enquirer headline of "NASA Refuses to Launch Well-Known alien Back into Space!" Bad Publicity as a front-page spread is a good thing) --Triv
Offtopic? I don't think so. This requires reading beyond, perhaps, a 3rd grade level. This is a simile. You know, a comparison using 'like' or 'as'. In this instance, I was comparing the 'rules' of NASA with the 'rules' of the various organ donor networks.
What you perhaps didn't like was that I referred to an overly worshipped drunken whore from NY in a derogatory manner.
So the man could swing a stick and throw a ball. BFD. He was still a drunk. He wasn't a hero, he was a drunk. Walk through the streets of any urban environment in the US, and you'll find plenty of drunks who were just as deserving of a liver.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
Doesn't that leave out the entire Russian population?
"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."
i sure hope they have different rules when it comes time to colonize...otherwise we'll have a hell of a time setting up a gov't on mars..."
dude.
OK,
- B
http://www.bradheintz.com/
- updated
They are just trying to keep your president on Earth. It doesn't apply to us.
In ancient times, banishment used to be a form of punishment. I'm glad that now that we have the capability of shooting "undeseriables" into space, we've elected not to do that. I can't tell you how safe I feel down here on Earth now.
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
One thing that comes to mind is a story by Richard Feynman where he was having a hard time coming up with a new idea to research, so he stopped trying to come up with a new idea. He saw someone throw a frisbee and that it wobbled a certain way. He decided to analyze the factors that influence the way that a frisbee wobbles based on rotation and other variables. This indirectly led to some more significant discoveries by Feynman (which I'm not familiar with since I'm not a physicist).
Remember that space tourist that went up with the Russians? NASA had a shit hemmorage over it, going so far as to label James Cameron a "true patriot" because he was willing to wait for NASA's blessing. That was Stage 1 in NASA's assholism. These restrictions are Stage 2. As much as I love the manned space program, I won't feel too bad when these bureaucratic idiots get slapped. Let's give the money to the Russians, instead.
Oral and reading fluency in the English language is a requirement for all ISS candidates. In addition, the ability to communicate effectively in other languages may be required. Candidates must possess both the capacity and the interest to learn a foreign language.
I've always had a keen interest in Sanskrit.
I was typing a huge answer to every foolish word you said. But it brought me such a lazy feeling...
<sarcasm>
This is nothing but a right wing Republican conspiracy to keep Bill Clinton out of space. The shame of it all!
</sarcasm>
I mean, is there anyone with the millions needed to go that would qualify :)
I know I'll be crying my eyes out over all the millionaires being deprived of the chance to go to space. Its clearly a case of America blind to justice.
Never underestimate the power of fiber.
if the lameness filters don't foil me again:
Principles Regarding Processes and Criteria for Selection, Assignment, Training and Certification of ISS (Expedition and Visiting) Crewmembers
Multilateral Crew Operations Panel
November 2001
Revision A
Rev. A
11/28/01
Principles Regarding Processes and Criteria for Selection, Assignment, Training and Certification of ISS (Expedition and Visiting) Crewmembers
This document was prepared by the ISS Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP).
Any questions concerning the contents of this document should be directed to CA/Kathleen Abotteen, Executive Secretary.
I. Introduction
The Space Station Memoranda of Understanding, and the Multilateral Coordination Board (MCB), have charged the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP) with defining the processes, standards and criteria for selection, assignment, training, and certification of Space Station crew for flight.
These principles shall be used by all ISS partners when assigning their professional astronauts/cosmonauts or spaceflight participants as ISS (Expedition and Visiting) crewmembers. Each partner that is proposing a crewmember for assignment to a crew shall be responsible for meeting the following process and the requirements listed below regarding flight assignments.
This document, hereinafter referred to as the "ISS Crew Criteria Document," will be updated as required based on operational experience.
II. Scope
This document is limited to defining the processes and criteria for selection, assignment, training, and certification of ISS (Expedition and Visiting) crewmembers. The selection criteria and processes in this document apply to all crewmembers and are used by all ISS partners/sponsoring agencies prior to nominating their candidates. The MCOP will implement the provisions of this document per the applicable ISS MOUs and the MCOP Charter.
III. Definitions
There are two types of crewmembers, professional astronauts/cosmonauts and spaceflight participants. These crewmembers can be designated as expedition or visiting crewmembers.
Professional Astronaut/Cosmonaut
A professional astronaut/cosmonaut is an individual who has completed the official selection and has been qualified as such at the space agency of one of the ISS partners and is employed on the staff of the crew office of that agency.
Spaceflight Participant
Spaceflight participants are individuals (e.g. commercial, scientific and other programs; crewmembers of non-partner space agencies, engineers, scientists, teachers, journalists, filmmakers or tourists) sponsored by one or more partner(s). Normally, this is a temporary assignment that is covered under a short-term contract.
Expedition (Increment) Crewmembers
Expedition crewmembers are the main crew of the ISS and are responsible for implementing the planned activities for an increment. The right of a partner to have its candidates serve as expedition crewmembers is allocated in accordance with Article 11.1 of the MOUs. As part of this allocation, it may be possible to have spaceflight participants as part of an expedition once the ISS has a crew complement of more than 3 persons.
Visiting Crewmembers
Based on experience to date with visiting vehicles to the ISS, visiting crewmembers travel to and from the ISS, but are not expedition crewmembers. Consequently, the visiting crewmembers do not count as a use of a sponsoring agency's allocation of flight opportunities or crew time on-orbit rights as defined in Article 11.1 and Article 8.3.c of the MOUs. They may be either professional astronauts/cosmonauts or spaceflight participants.
Sponsoring Agency
A sponsoring agency is one of the five ISS partners (CSA, ESA, NASA, GOJ, and Rosaviakosmos) that provide the crew flight opportunities.
IV. Selection
In general, each partner selects candidates for its own astronaut/cosmonaut corps based on its own criteria and procedures. However, for nomination of candidates to ISS crews, the partner must certify to the MCOP that the individual meets the criteria below. All criteria apply to all crewmembers except where otherwise noted in this section.
A. General Suitability
For spaceflight participants to be assigned to an expedition crew or visiting crew, a background review must be done by the sponsoring agency in accordance with its internal procedures. Partners will cooperate with the sponsoring agency, as appropriate, to provide access to information about a candidate for purposes of this background review. The general suitability decision process for spaceflight participants involves an assessment of the candidate's past and present conduct in order to predict probable future actions that may adversely impact the ISS program. The following list defines some of the factors that would be considered as a basis for disqualification: (a) delinquency or misconduct in prior employment/military service; (b) criminal, dishonest, infamous, or notoriously disgraceful conduct; (c) intentional false statement or fraud in examination or appointment; (d) habitual use of intoxicating beverages to excess; (e) abuse of narcotics, drugs, or other controlled substances;
(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. Consideration may also be given to the following factors prior to disqualification: (a) critical/sensitive nature of the ISS crewmember position; (b) nature and seriousness of any misconduct; (c) circumstances surrounding such misconduct; (d) recency of the misconduct; (e) age of person at time of the misconduct; (f) contributing social or environmental conditions; (g) any reoccurrence of the same misconduct and/or occurrence of similar misconduct; and (h) absence of rehabilitation.
For professional crewmembers, general suitability is determined prior to employment so another background review is not required at this stage of selection.
B. Medical
The candidate must meet the agreed-upon medical criteria as established by the ISS multilateral medical operations boards and panels for long-term or short-term spaceflight. This includes the medical aspects of behavioral assessments.
C. Behavioral Suitability
The sponsoring agency, in accordance with its internal procedures, will determine if its candidate has the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to function as a successful member of a space flight team in a multicultural environment and has the ability to demonstrate situational awareness to conduct himself or herself effectively in the space environment. In addition to the other criteria in this section the sponsoring agency will consider the following attributes in their behavioral suitability assessments of their candidates: (a) relevant operational experience; (b) demonstrated performance under stress; (c) ability to function as a team member; (d) high moral integrity; (e) adaptability/flexibility; and (f) motivation consistent with the program mission.
D. Linguistic Ability
Oral and reading fluency in the English language is a requirement for all ISS candidates. In addition, the ability to communicate effectively in other languages may be required. Candidates must possess both the capacity and the interest to learn a foreign language.
E. Adherence to the ISS Crew Code of Conduct (CCOC)
The candidate must show an understanding of the provisions of the CCOC and commit to adhere to its provisions. Each partner, in exercising its right to provide crew, shall ensure that its crewmembers observe the Code of Conduct.
V. Assignment
A. General
Implementation of the crew assignment process is outlined in Appendix A - MCOP Crew Assignment Work Instruction.
Only professional astronauts/cosmonauts will be eligible to be assigned as crew commanders, pilots, flight engineers, station scientists or mission specialists in either expedition or visiting crews. Space flight participants will be eligible to be assigned as visiting scientists, commercial users, or tourists. Task assignments for spaceflight participants will not include ISS assembly, operations and maintenance activities.
ISS crewmembers should be capable of achieving a suitable level of language capability to correspond with his or her functional duties and type of transport vehicle. As a goal, and due regard being given to the requirement that the working language for all activities under the MOUs is the English language and on the Soyuz is Russian, the ISS Commanders, Pilots, and Flight Engineers should be capable of achieving a minimum level of 1+ in both Russian and English prior to flight.1 Visiting crew should achieve a minimum level of 1-, in Russian or English (as appropriate to the transport vehicle) prior to flight or they should fly with crewmembers that can provide interpretation support.
B. Assignment and Composition of Expedition Crews
Any expedition crew complement must have one commander and at least two flight engineers. Spaceflight participants will not be assigned to an expedition until such time as the ISS has a crew complement of more than 3 persons. Flight opportunities are allocated in accordance with Article 11.1 of the ISS MOUs. The MCOP coordinates and determines the scheduling of specific increments for ISS partners' flight opportunities based on major planned activities, expected durations of expeditions, and crew rotation plans. Each MCOP member recommends crewmembers for its flight opportunities and options are discussed. The final assignment takes into account the composition of the full crew from the viewpoints of performance, language abilities and safety. This will be based on individual experience and skill required for the increment, and includes major task assignments (Commander, Pilot, Flight Engineer, Extravehicular Activity, and Robotics) for the ISS and the rescue vehicle. 1 1+ is an Intermediate High level of proficiency on the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language) scale. 1- is an Intermediate Low level of proficiency. This scale has been accepted for use by all the ISS partners.
As a rule, back-up expedition crew assignments are made at the same time as the prime assignment and mirror the sponsoring agency and task assignments they are backing up.
C. Assignment and Composition of Visiting Crews
The sponsoring agency that provides the transport vehicle determines the manifest and crew size/composition of its missions, coordinated through the standard ISS operations planning processes. The sponsoring agency nominates which crewmembers will fly, assigns major roles and responsibilities for its crewmembers, and submits this information to the MCOP. If spaceflight participants are being considered, the sponsoring agency will provide the MCOP with necessary information to demonstrate the candidate has met the selection criteria defined in Section IV.
As a rule, back-up visiting crew assignments are made by the sponsoring agency, consistent with the process for assignment of visiting crew described in this document.
VI. Training
Station Program Implementation Plan (SPIP) Volume 7 defines the ISS Program's training concepts for professional expedition crewmembers. As a rule, recommended professional expedition crewmembers should begin advanced training approximately 12 months before the start of increment-specific training.
In the case of visiting crew and spaceflight participants, a minimum ISS training program will be defined by the International Training Control Board (ITCB). Advanced and increment-specific/ mission-specific training will be customized by the sponsoring agency and coordinated through the MCOP with the other partners for segment and special equipment training. As a rule, the visiting crew should train with the increment crew that will be on orbit during their visit.
VII. Certification of Crew Flight Readiness
The MCOP will determine the readiness of the crew for flight based on the results of a review
of the crew's medical condition, the crew's performance during training, and the CDR's
evaluation of the crew's readiness. If the MCOP members concur that the crew is ready for its
mission, each member will submit a recommendation to its respective agency to sign the ISS
Certificate of Flight Readiness (CoFR) according to internal agency procedures.
APPENDIX A
MCOP Crew Assignment Work Instruction
The following process is used by the MCOP in the assignment of flight crews to the ISS. For expedition crews, the crew assignment process is initiated after the MCOP has scheduled the flight opportunities in accordance with the allocations in Article 11.1 of the ISS MOUs. For visiting crews, the sponsoring agency that provides the transport vehicle determines the manifest and crew size/composition of its missions, coordinated through the standard ISS operations planning processes.
The four steps in the coordination cycle are as follows. Step 1 should occur 22 months prior to launch for expedition crews, and no later than 6 months prior to launch for visiting crews. Step 4 should be completed no later than 20 months prior to launch for expedition crews and no later than 4 months prior to launch for visiting crews. As a rule, the entire process should be completed prior to the start of mission specific training.
1. For expedition crews, the sponsoring agencies that have been scheduled flight opportunities present their candidate(s) in a jointly signed recommendation to nominate a particular crew. In the case of visiting crews, the agency that provides the transport vehicle is responsible for signing the recommendation. The recommendation includes brief background information about the candidates, high-level crew roles, and an overview of the mission. This recommendation is then forwarded by the MCOP Executive Secretary to the other MCOP members for review. All internal reviews are conducted in parallel.
2. Upon receipt of the recommendation, the MCOP members have an opportunity to ask questions about the recommended crew nominations. Questions are limited to the scope of the MCOP's ISS Crew Criteria Document. These questions are forwarded, in writing, within two weeks of receipt of the recommendation to the MCOP Executive Secretary for distribution to all MCOP members. Absence of questions indicates consensus with the recommendation.
3. Upon receipt of these questions, the MCOP partner(s) who initiated the recommendation will provide answers through the MCOP Executive Secretary to all MCOP members. These answers will provide a best effort on the part of the sponsoring agencies to establish necessary conditions that mitigate any concerns of the other partners associated with the flight of any particular candidate. If any partner is not satisfied with the response to a question, they must submit a written statement of their disagreement to the MCOP Executive Secretary within 3 working days. Absence of this written disagreement indicates consensus. Pending resolution of the issues through meetings/telecons scheduled by the MCOP Executive Secretary, the sponsoring agency may start crew training. The MCOP Executive Secretary will issue a formal statement of MCOP consensus on the nomination of the particular crew as recommended by the sponsoring agencies. This step should be completed in approximately 2 weeks.
4. After receiving MCOP consensus, and after receiving authority to proceed from their internal agencies' management, the sponsoring agencies for the flight assignment will sign a resolution making the assignment official. The resolution includes a list of the crewmembers assigned to the mission with their major responsibilities and mission tasks, a brief mission description, and a statement that the sponsoring agencies for the mission certify that the crewmembers meet MCOP established selection criteria with reference to the MCOP consensus.
- Entertaining Bits from the Ancient Kernel Tree
Guess we won't be seeing "Survivor X: Earth Orbit"
"Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos!"
However, as with a security clearance, the fact that you smoked a bit of weed and took some mushrooms along the way probably won't hurt. If you have a history of abuse ala Tyson, then perhaps they won't want to include you in a crew that gets to spend weeks in a sardine can together. It just makes good sense.
Sometimes you really just want the wheat
I am sorry but what right does NASA have in esstablishing a "guide line"?
Since when did NASA_which ALWAYS seems to go over budget_, get to decide on rules?
Space does not belong to NASA. If a man/woman pays $30mil to go up who cares? Better yet who should care if a bunch of millionares get to together and make a space team to go into space?
Space is like open source, everyone has a right to it, no matter what race, sex, or religion.This SIG pulled due to lack of funding. (This damn war is costing too much!)
Why would you only rule out Alabama when there are plenty of other country musicians to ban: Randy Travis, Garth Brooks ... the list goes on. Keep space Country-Free!
Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
Its only a matter of time before emerging technologies like mass manufactures carbon nanotubes, and full-blow nanotechnology take ALL of us to the starts. Nasa can go eats its shorts.
www.enthea.org
Vote George II down!
The owls are not what they seem
Sure, they will stick to their high morals until they need to get cheap labor up in space. For example, when it actually gets to the point where we need laborers building a lunar station. Hmm, wonder if the unions have already considered the issues with that?
--SC
(Posting AC to preserve Karma...I need it to spread the word!)
That is the excuse they would give. NASA will really say no because they only exercise power by refusing people. It is the same sort of idiocy I recall hearing about in Russia a few years back. A restaurant (post USSR) hires a doorman. The retaurant is empty. No one ever comes in. Why? because the doorman would refuse entrance to anyone who did not have a reservation. Sure he could have opened the freaking door and let customers into the restaurant, but he did not exercize any power by doing that. By saying "NYET!", he demonstrated his power.
In addition, if NASA were to apply those "standards" to their astronaut corps, the vast majority of them would be grounded.
If Bush the Younger wants to see serious space development, he should start treating NASA administrators like Nixon treated DOJ critters during the Watergate investigation, or like th eCLinton's handled the White House travel office
You either believe in rational thought or you don't
I'm not sure how this is intended to fit in with the space travel policy; at a first glance it looks more like a troll than anything else. While there is a long-standing weight/size restriction, I didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the scope of this article. Incidentally, though, I was thinking along these lines while reading the article (I'm about this close to getting a clearance, so the background stuff wouldn't matter, but I'm 6'4" and could stand to lose about 50 pounds.) Of course, I'm also not a multi-millionaire, so that rules it out too...
-SablKnight
I wonder how the "no narcotic substances" aspect ties into the ESA (European Space Agency) - in Holland its legal to use certain "restricted substances". Would these substances (e.g. Marijuana) then begin to fall under the less onerous "must not have a history of abuse" aspect?
Or would Dutch astronauts have to *never* have experimented with what is actually legal in their own country?
More amusingly, in Britain (I *think*) they are considering allowing Marijuana for combatting nausea - could be useful, given the kind of sea-sickness a rocket-ride must provoke.
"er...Houston...we have a purple elephant on board..."
It seems that NASA is taking their cues from RIAA, thinking that if they tighten the restrictions then more people will support the program. Someone should tell them that it isn't cartmanland they're running!
It's amazing, free markets ALWAYS increase demand, but all big organizations fight free markets every chance they get...
If you have a history of lying, drinking, and cheating... then you'll probably come up with a way to fool NASA into believing you're a wholesome person!
~ now you know
I wonder how much additional money it would generate if the govt had a "lottery" for space travel instead of a you-pay-you-go type thing. I bet they could work it out to generate alot more money per space tourist that way, while giving us ordinary citizens a chance to go.
I Heart Sorting Networks
have you ever read robert heinlen's the moon is a harsh mistress? you're not safe at all.
I have no desire to reach nirvana.
Had the title been simply "Tourist Standards", nobody would read it. But, the addition of "Space" makes it infinitely more attractive.
Try it. Space Burgers. Yum! Burgers. Boring. Space Bowling! Exciting! Bowling. Dull, lifeless. Space Crabs! Oh, wait...
--SC
(Posting AC to preserve Karma)
Guess Dubya and his whole family, as well as the rest of the political world won't be taking any trips to the Moon in the near future. That's okay with me. We can just leave here to blow each other up while the rest of us useful people head to the stars.
+1 Insightful, -1 Troll. What can I say, I'm an Insightful Troll.
these rules were not in place when Armagedon was going to happen! Bruce and his boys would have never gotten to space and we all would have been screwed!
-- Knowing too much can get you killed, but knowing who knows too much can make you rich.
It gives the impression that these are unilateral rules put in place by NASA when they are infact, rules which have been prepared and agreed upon by ALL the partners in the ISS Project.
After almost two years of negotiations, NASA and its International Space Station partners on Thursday released a new set of ground rules for the selection of professional astronauts and cosmonauts as well as other travelers to the orbiting outpost.
Partners Set Standards for Station Tourists; Miscreants Need Not ApplyNASA is an aerospace firm in the future. During this time society analyzes your liver and determines where you belong in life. (Insert male name here) was born with a congenital lying condition which would cast him out of getting a chance to travel in space. So in turn he assumes the identity of a middle-aged Amish man who has genes that would allow him to achieve his dream of space travel with two witty robots.
I think you mean I *S* S. International Space Station. IIS is Internet Information Server, which is made by Microsoft. Watch those TLAs. (TLA = Three Letter Acronym)
"Da ist ein Technölüst in mein Unterpanten!"
conduct; (c) intentional false statement or fraud in examination or appointment
I guess Micheal Jackson won't be doing any moon walking any time soon. He probably wouldn't want to anyway...no kids there.
actually, wait, I didn't see any age requirement.
"Only one thing, is impossible for god: to find any sense in any copyright law on the planet." Mark Twain
Not just Bill Gates in Space, but Spacing Bill Gates. .
Did nobody else notice that the guys name is Shuttleworth?
Or else nobody thought it was funny enough to mention?
All you have to do is build a rocket. NASA is but 1 means of getting to space.
"Da ist ein Technölüst in mein Unterpanten!"
So they are going to close off thier half of the space station from the Russians? I'm almost positive on the Russian side, drinking is required.
"Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
Is it that hard to understand that this was probably intended as a catchall for the "Flat Earth Society" and "Lunar Landings were Faked!" crowds out for some "dirt?" Somebody who could be reasonably expected to be a major disruption... and possibly a safety threat if they think that the "vacuum" outside of the ISS is also fake.
The bureaucratically vague wording is troubling, but the alternative (allowing them to arbitrarily reject candidates for unstated reasons) are worse.
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. -- H L Mencken
Well... Banishment into space is somewhat different than banishment to another part of the earth. Space holds no hope for survival, what with having no heat, air, food, water, etc. At least remote corners of the world have air
Idealistic morons.
We must respectfully reject your generous offer of $40 million for a week in space, due to the fact that it has come to our attention that you were cought shoplifting at K-Mart last summer.
Sincerely,
NASA Tourism pre-screening board.
if you have a history of drinking, lying and cheating
I'm gonna stake my claim on the boolean "and". I haven't cheated anyone.
Sometimes they drink bourbon, scotch, gin, wine, beer, or Sterno(tm). Just like Americans.
Is it cheating if I only lie about my drinking?
Okay, so by this criteria, our own president would wash out.
Y'see, those are America's "Heros" - they're to be "better" then the rest of us. Sure they're no longer white guys with buzzcuts but those folks are still the roll-models and still in control of the process. Women are now welcomed, a few non-Christians, even visible minorities, but that's it.
Nobody with an expressed political opinion contrary to the prevailing one. Nobody who is not from a mainstream religion or safely disinterested. And particularly nobody who isn't heterosexual or presumptively so. Nope, can't let them folks into space, they're just not, well, trustworthy, could upset some bible-belt politician, set a bad example, look like we, well, *condoned* such things.
So yeah, lots of my friends lost their dreams. They've done other things - one designs upgrades to the main engines, another does relevant medical research on astronauts, others have designed payloads or taken various support positions. A couple have watched colleagues go up on missions and known why they weren't candidates, that they were "unacceptable" because of who they loved.
So now its official: There are guidelines that, without spelling it out, make it clear who is to be allowed to officially build the future. Our Hero's are to be safe, non-controversial straight folks; apparently that is to be the American Way. The future is here, only certain folks need apply.
I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
..they're not going to put all those people in Guantanamo (sp?) Bay up there to avoid questions about whether they are POWs or not!
Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
Karma: Chameleon
Considering that 99.5% of us are automatically ruled out because we don't have 20 Mil. of disposable income to plunk down for the ultimate joy ride.
Hmmm, "Ultimate Joy Ride" sounds like fodder for a future
President Bush can't be a space tourist.
NASA is having budget problems.
Hold a lottery. Sell tickets at $20 or so a piece. The winner gets to go to ISS. Use a Superball type lottery. Hit 4 numbers and win a trip to FLA to watch the shuttle take off. Hit all 5 and get to go into space on board the shuttle. Hit all 6 and you get to go on the ISS.
Price for the tickets would have to be evaluated. I would pay 20 or 30.
NASA should have just released a photo from the 1950's of a white guy with a crew cut holding the bible and be done with it.
It looks like NASA and the Russians have been fighting over this and came to a compromise. NASA would take the high-horse stand to avoid any embarassment that might cause congress to think about cutting funding or supporting private attempts to space and the Russians would make sure to lie and plead ignorance if the contract was broken.
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.
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.
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
have you been lying, cheating, drinking or any combination of the three? If so, which?
I failed on all six counts!! Damn I'm good.
They look up your police records and military records, interview you, and some of your (earlier) employers, family, and so on, to try to determine if you are a responsible person. If you aren't, then they won't risk the lives of other astronauts, important space research, huge amounts of money, etc, just to get you into space.
This is nothing but common sence. You shouldn't trust untrustworthy people. I fail to see the logic behind allowing Osama bin Laden on the space shuttle just because he has enough money.
And I was hoping we could send Bill on a one way trip.
It looks like if you have a history of drinking, lying and cheating you won't be going into space anytime soon
So I'm still good if I only drink and lie, right?
UNIX *is* user-friendly. Its just more selective on who its friends are. --Scott Adams
I just scrolled through the comments and I can't beleive I don't see at least one post legitimizing some restrictions.
Folks, this isn't MTVs "Real World in Space!" At least initially, anyone who goes up into a space station is going to part of a pretty small and isolated human community. It's going to be important that members of that community get along. Lying can be big impediment to that. Cheating on a spouse says that you're willing to break pretty some big promises. And while alcohol can provide some great bonding moments (camraderie from shedding some inhibitions, and later, maybe even sharing vomit and hangovers. I know people who've hooked up because of shared vomiting experiences), it also impairs judgement, sometimes makes people much more volatile than they'd normally be, and carries a temptation for abuse that's too strong for many people (especially when in isolated and stressful situations).
There's no guarantee, of course, that honest, sober, and relatively chaste people are going to get along. But it doesn't seem that odd to me that NASA would consider the human dimension of a space community and try to select out traits they think might doom a community to disintegrations.
Libertarianism is rich wolves and poor sheep playing gambler's ruin for dinner.
Someday NASA will have very real authority over at least some aspects of space, just like the FAA has very real authority over who flies in the air above our country (I don't think telling the FAA "It's just air, it doesn't belong to anyone" would convince them). Perhaps NASA will control all launchs from the United States, or control the section of space over the US. Oh well.
> 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.
Yoo,
don't wory. You still can become president in the 'free' world/God's own country.
Ps: just, beware of having a root/plane coming down on your head
Grtz
That and all the other greedy joker's over there.
"You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas"
Sen. Davy Crocket to US Congress, Nov. 1, 1835
Well, reading the document itself, it seems that it's really only for the NASA side, I mean, I can't imagine that the Russians would require fluency in english to get into space
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
I hope you've tried the Irish version of the Black Russian:
:)
:)
vodka (20%), tia maria/kahlua(20%), some coke(50%) and the important bit: top it off with some Guinness (10%) to put a nice head on it and taste
Hmm, think I'll go for one of those tonight
Does this post disqualify me?
Al.
Actualy, if you read the document, you'll see it actualy prohibits people with 'controversial' pasts. No no space for the Lay-master.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
These aren't just NASA standards, they were agreed on with the international partners. See the Washington Post's article: "More than two years in the making, the criteria allow Russia, the United States, Canada, Japan or the European Space Agency to select station visitors."
The Space Cartel will be run by the Five Families.
Mod Karma -1: I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
I'm wondering just how well the international partners are going to agree about the interpretation of those rather subjective standards, though. For instance, considering the stories I've heard about Russians and drinking, over there "alcohol abuse" probably means letting vodka go to waste. 8-)
It is exactly the attributes of drinking, lying, gambling (cheating?) that make foreigners and other people "untouchable" to a higher caste Hindu. Perhaps NASA should specify that they are looking for orthodox Brahmins.
Tom
As I see it, NASA has spent far too much time, money and effort in building a plethora of complicated guidelines that can be simply summarized in one commonly used phrase:
"We reserve the right to refuse admission at any time for any reason".
And that's it! It would be preposterous to believe that for all the people who have gone up to space on successful NASA missions, not ONE of them have a quality that would be seen as grounds for rejection according to NASA. They've simply passed below the NASA Radar of Morality (tm) - they're humans, aren't they? Don't believe for a second that there hasn't already been a pathological liar, someone who inhaled, or someone with a "questionable" (according to NASA) background or associations shot up in to space - they just didn't know, that's all. These are private details that people keep close to themselves, and save for any physical evidence there's no way to prove it without going on a witch hunt.
That said, I think this is a rather transparent move at introducing enough variables to enforce a broad refusal of admission policy under the guise of "keeping things safe and fair" while providing avenues for plausible denial in the case of some problems arising that could have otherwise be blamed on NASA. With such guidelines in place they've got carte blanche in these matters..
stuff it, fatty
From the looks of the guidelines, it's not just NASA, it's the ESA and Russia (RASA?), too.
NASA really is intent on controlling who goes to heaven. Does this mean that St. Peter is the new Director of NASA? If they mean drinking, lying, and cheating I'm still in the running. If they change it to or....
Otherwise I'd get all drunk one night and pay to get shot into space.
God spoke to me
How are we ever going to have space cowboys, then?
Isn't lying and cheating the way most people would obtain enough money to afford the flight?
and possibly a safety threat if they think that the "vacuum" outside of the ISS is also fake.
That's easy enough to deal with. As soon as you get into orbit, put the guy outside the shuttle and tell him to take his helmet off if he doesn't believe that space is a vacuum. He'll either change his mind, or he'll be space debris. Either way he's not gonna cause any damage.
It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer
Larry Ellison won't be going any time soon.
So how can you be successful enough to afford the trip without lying, cheating, or stealing somewhere along the way?
(e) abuse of narcotics, drugs, or other controlled substances;
This one takes out a lot of today's society.
Causing Chaos Everywhere,
Nik J.
The strange world of a loner, in a populous city, drowning in society
"...In addition, potential space station visitors must be able to read and speak English..." yeah...so where does the international in "International Space Station" come in?
Well there goes the duty free :(
----- Whats wrong with this picture? http://www.revoh.org:1234/whatswrong
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?
when you can just sit here on earth and drink beer! It sure beats space.
I bet they don't even have beer in space.
Silly thing that space.
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.
Lack of eloquence does not denote lack of intelligence, though they often coincide.
I don't think that celebrities and such should be allowed onto the ISS. This isn't a luxury space hotel; it's a place for scientific research. The only non-astronauts that should be allowed on the space station are scientists who have valid research to conduct in a zero-g environment, and then only if it was absolutely necessary that the scientist go himself.
I'm certainly not against the idea of space tourism; I'd love to go up myself. However, this shouldn't be happening for many more years. We can't be more than a century away from having actual hotels on the moon or up in space. People have always dreamed about being able to visit space.
Relative to his wealth, he is far less charitable than the average American.
For a man who makes a billion dollars per year, giving away a million is being less generous than a man who makes twenty thousand dollars per year giving away thirty. A lot less generous when you consider it as a fraction of disposable income. A whole lot less generous when you consider it as a necessary P.R. expense to counterbalance a reputation as an underhanded businessman.
It is precisely drinkers, liars, and cheaters who roll back the frontiers for the rest of us God-fearin' folk.
I should think one of the criteria is the amount of flatulence you create in a given period, on average.
There is no getting away from it in a space capsule.
We may see in our history the first jettison of a fellow astronaut if we're not careful.
The above post is an editorial, the poster cannot and will not be held responsible for all or in part for it's contents
..no, a 'user' probably modded you down because of your sig. rofl. been $rtbl'd yet?
No, haven't been rtbl'ed yet. I feel kinda left out. I get modded down because of being a troll or k-whore, but don't get rtbl'ed, because I'm not a troll enough, or a whore enough.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
This probably isn't a document saying what qualifications you must meet to get onto the space station.
This is something saying what qualifications you must meet to get on the space shuttle going to and from the space station (which is also NASA property). This means they effectively do control tourists to the entire space station, not just the US modules.
Until, of course, another country starts up in the space tourism industry. . .
Sorry to point it out to you, but your post had a minor inaccuracy.
:^)
The quote actually was:
"I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky."
I remember the commentary about it on some news or talk show. Clinton defines 'sexual relations' to mean sexual intercourse, his penis inside her vagina. But they never admitted to having sexual intercourse, only foreplay type stuff, blowjob, handjob, using a cigar as a sex toy, and of course, leaving the evidence on her blue dress. But those things aren't 'sexual relations' in his mind, so he didn't lie about it in that quote.
Now, whether he was informing Ms. Lewinsky about a third party or not is up to you.
I know the natural response among slashdotters is to assume that the Evil US Government wants to ban Enlightened People in order to protect Evil Corporations.
What you have here, though, is pretty standard diplomatese used in most high-profile joint ventures involving less-than-friendly major powers, for "we understand that some of our partner *states* frown on on concepts such as freedom, so in order to avoid a diplomatic row over issues unrelated to our space agenda, we will avoid sending up Taiwanese politicians, Tibetan lamas residing in India, Chinese slave labor opponents, etc." China refers to such people as "criminals who negatively impact confidence in the State and threaten public order," and the wording of this reflects their sentiments.
It will almost certainly also prohibit people closely identified with any political cause, US or non-US, that is highly controversial (abortion, Israel vs. Palestine, etc.). To do otherwise risks having a bunch of activists protesting NASA over non-technical issues, and they have a hard enough time staying out of trouble as it is without asking for it.
"Those who have never entered upon scientific pursuits know not a tithe of the poetry by which they are surrounded."
Why should NASA tell other enterprises what people they should send into space? NASA wont be a space tourist company anyway...
Will work for bandwidth
Ah Houston we have a problem!!
What is this time Discovery????
We are out of beer!
If only governments would disallow such people to breed, life on earth would be so much better.
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Yeah, he's a saint.
According to section e, recreational pharmaceuticals are a no no as well... and I REALLY wanted to get totally baked in space... while wearing my Grateful Dead Space Your Face tshirt!
Hmmm... maybe if I call it an experiment... Glass bongs look like lab equip right?
Are you the one going to space? Former Debian-developer, Thawte?
You go, man!
:-)
Oh wait, you're his brother.
1 .j pg
http://www.tsf.org.za/launch_pics/images/3599d6