[FPSPACE] Astronauts in the European parliament

[Keith Gottschalk]

>Another constraint in the ISS document that may cause a potential candidate
>trouble is the provision against membership in organizations "which
>adversely affect the confidence of the public in the integrity of, or
>reflecting unfavorably in any public forum on, any ISS partner, partner
>state or cooperating agency." When I first saw this, I wondered if the
>Russians might take offense at a member of Greenpeace or Human Rights Watch;
>the Americans might take offense at membership in some East European
>communist party.  Most Americans should consider such a constraint on

   Amazingly, today foreign (European & African) communists & even raving trotskyists are not harassed by US immigration.   But how would the USG react to astronaut tourist candidates with a track record of being articulate activists from NASAWatch or F.A.S?      grin   :)      :)       :)

   Also, if a ISS tourist candidate was the bilionaire philanthropist George Soros, his Open Society foundations in Russia, & his "stop Bush" donations have annoyed both sides. 

    But fifteen million dollars, mostly paid upfront, does neutralize a lot of muttering (grin:)  And the final installment, made only in the event of the billionaire landing alive, does wonders to ensure loving re-examinations of parachute & retro-rockets, umpteen helicopters with paramedics, fire extinguishers & drips on site. 

Keith