[FPSPACE] Selling tickets to ISS...

[Dwayne Allen Day]

[I snipped a lot out of this article--I don't think this is going to
happen--such a deal would cost a huge amount of money.  DDAY]



http://www.msnbc.com/news/500645.asp?cp1=1

A new entrant in the TV space race

Forget the
Caribbean holiday or a million dollars in cash. A German television
production company said Friday it has come up with the ultimate TV show
prize  a trip into space. Brainpool TV is the second entrant so far in a
race to put ordinary people in space.

BRAINPOOL SAID a new multimedia competition show due to start next
September would take winners up to the International Space Station under
an exclusive contract already signed with a unit of the European
Aeronautic, Defense and Space Co.

The company said the pan-European competition in September next year
would be run through television, the Internet and special events to select
a candidate for the first of seven space flights.
Winners for each of seven competitions planned for the series would be
given training to fly and live in space on separate missions between 2002
and 2008.
Astrium, a unit of EADS, will provide the training as well as the ride
to the space station, Leun said.
We are taking care of the transport, Leun said, adding that the actual
flight would be handled by Russians.
"There are two nations with the technology to go into space  the
Americans and the Russians. We are not doing it with the Americans," she
said.
But she declined to provide further details ahead of a news conference
due to be held Dec. 12.