"Should the Space Program Join Forces with Reality TV?"
No.
For one thing, it would encourage the space program to be filled with internal strife to improve ratings.
More importantly, this is the mistake that jackass JFK made in the first place, that got us into the situation we're in with NASA today. Making the space program into a public media circus = fail, because the general public thinks it's boring.
-Kle.
When I was in Johannesburg a few years back, they had a channel that broadcast Big Brother South Africa 24 hours a day. In real time. And wouldn't you know it, but I had people constantly come over to watch. I was actually experiencing insomnia at the time, so I would sometimes pass the late-night hours watching night-vision footage of a bunch of people sleeping. It was strangely comforting.
All of which is to say, don't underestimate people's penchant for watching absolutely nothing happen on a screen. Though I suppose they could spice things up with an astronaut confessional booth or a boxful of space puppies...
If it's going to be a successful reality TV show, the temp on the ship will have to be warm enough to warrant everyone wear bathing suits, and the ratio of female to male astronauts be 2:1.
@WestMantooth: ...wait what? are you talking about people WATCHING OTHERS possibly dying a million miles from Earth?
I thought this article was talking about filming the 105 day test and not the actual mission.
@jp182:
I know.
I'm talking about about people not caring about a fake Mission to Mars training more than the thrill of the real thing. I don't think the astronauts would be bored by the actual mission.
Practicing just sucks. No reality show crap needed.
I can't believe I almost forgot Marjorie Monaghan as Jojo Thorsen from Space Rangers: Valley Forge. To a 13 year old, she was hottest space pilot around.
Uh... where is Commander Susan Ivanova? She was the baddest StarFury pilot in all of Earth Alliance, and she road fire with the best of them.
Besides that, who else could scare an enemy force even more with her words then the fleet of super-advanced warships she is commanding against them?
"Who am I? I am Susan Ivanova, Commander, daughter of Andrei and Sophie
Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance, and the boot that is going to
kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth. I am Death incarnate, and
the last living thing that you are ever going to see. God sent me."
@Cash907Censored: Yeah, but when did we actually see her pilot a StarFury? I searched and searched and couldn't find it. To be fair, my memories of this series are seriously blurry... but all the bad-ass Ivanova moments I remember involve her in the command chair.
In the Hugo Award-winning episode "Severed Dreams" from season 3, Ivanova asks to be placed in command of the fighter squadrons, as she feels the presence of a command-level officer is necessary for moral, seeing how they will be going up against their fellow Earth Alliance forces for the first time. She's been in the cockpit before, but this was the first time we get a chance to see just how much of a badass pilot she really is.
It's one of my favorite episodes in the series, and my third favorite space battle. Here's the best youtube video I could find of the battle. The author had to change the music during the fight, because of some copyright restrictions youtube put on him.
08/05/09
No.
For one thing, it would encourage the space program to be filled with internal strife to improve ratings.
More importantly, this is the mistake that jackass JFK made in the first place, that got us into the situation we're in with NASA today. Making the space program into a public media circus = fail, because the general public thinks it's boring.
-Kle.
08/04/09
All of which is to say, don't underestimate people's penchant for watching absolutely nothing happen on a screen. Though I suppose they could spice things up with an astronaut confessional booth or a boxful of space puppies...
08/04/09
cause in space no one can hear you scream.
08/04/09
"Whatever, I dont care what you think. I'm not here to make space friends!"
08/04/09
08/04/09
I'll take him with any hairdo!
08/04/09
08/04/09
08/04/09
08/04/09
08/04/09
I thought this article was talking about filming the 105 day test and not the actual mission.
08/04/09
I know.
I'm talking about about people not caring about a fake Mission to Mars training more than the thrill of the real thing. I don't think the astronauts would be bored by the actual mission.
Practicing just sucks. No reality show crap needed.
08/04/09
08/04/09
Thanks for spoiling it for the rest of us! lol
07/11/09
I can't believe I almost forgot Marjorie Monaghan as Jojo Thorsen from Space Rangers: Valley Forge. To a 13 year old, she was hottest space pilot around.
07/11/09
07/11/09
07/11/09
Ahh the innocent 70s
07/11/09
07/11/09
First off he wasn't an android he was a robot, and he wasn't being mean he was trying to help his only friend live his dream!
So There!
07/11/09
Besides that, who else could scare an enemy force even more with her words then the fleet of super-advanced warships she is commanding against them?
"Who am I? I am Susan Ivanova, Commander, daughter of Andrei and Sophie
Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance, and the boot that is going to
kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth. I am Death incarnate, and
the last living thing that you are ever going to see. God sent me."
07/11/09
07/11/09
In the Hugo Award-winning episode "Severed Dreams" from season 3, Ivanova asks to be placed in command of the fighter squadrons, as she feels the presence of a command-level officer is necessary for moral, seeing how they will be going up against their fellow Earth Alliance forces for the first time. She's been in the cockpit before, but this was the first time we get a chance to see just how much of a badass pilot she really is.
It's one of my favorite episodes in the series, and my third favorite space battle. Here's the best youtube video I could find of the battle. The author had to change the music during the fight, because of some copyright restrictions youtube put on him.
07/10/09
Oh, sorry. I know It hates that name.