Cancelled: British singer Sarah Brightman to be Russia’s next space tourist

[hop]

Boeing pays a lot of taxes.. they have a right to use their national laboratory.

Dunno how I can make that any more clear.

Still makes absolutely no sense. Why would paying taxes give Boeing any rights ISS? National labs exist for specific purposes, not for random taxpayers to do whatever they want with.

It's like saying I should be able to set up a business taking tourists around Los Alamos, just because my taxes paid for it.

[neilh]

As I mentioned in my comment above, US commercial companies already make regular use of US National Laboratories. Why should the ISS be an exception?

[QuantumG]

It's like saying I should be able to set up a business taking tourists around Los Alamos, just because my taxes paid for it.

Ahh, I see. When you hear "national laboratory" you think "those places where they made the bomb!"

The US has many national laboratories. Public access is written into law for almost all of them.

[hop]

Ahh, I see. When you hear "national laboratory" you think "those places where they made the bomb!"

Nope. The point is that national labs have a specific purpose, and the access that people and organization get is defined by that purpose. There are already mechanisms in places for eligible entities to fly research payloads. If Boeing wanted to do that, they could.

Sending millionaires on joy rides isn't research.

As I mentioned in my comment above, US commercial companies already make regular use of US National Laboratories. Why should the ISS be an exception?

It isn't.

edit:
To elaborate, commercial companies can already make use of ISS for research, so it's not correct to say that ISS is an exception.

[QuantumG]

It isn't.

Is so!

Happy now?

Even your silly example.

[neilh]

Ahh, I see. When you hear "national laboratory" you think "those places where they made the bomb!"

Nope. The point is that national labs have a specific purpose, and the access that people and organization get is defined by that purpose. There are already mechanisms in places for eligible entities to fly research payloads. If Boeing wanted to do that, they could.

Sending millionaires on joy rides isn't research.

What are your thoughts on the use of facilities at US National/NASA Laboratories for the occasional filming of movies? For example, the filming of the opening scene of the Avengers.

[hop]

What are your thoughts on the use of facilities at US National/NASA Laboratories for the occasional filming of movies? For example, the filming of the opening scene of the Avengers.

My thought is the specifics matter, and the decision should be made on the costs and benefits of the specific situation. Sending someone to ISS is different from having a film crew in a facility on the ground.

Supporting tourists on ISS takes up NASA and partner resources that can't be directly compensated for with payments. Crew time spent supporting a tourist is gone, regardless of whether the tourists paid you for it.

I'm not inherently against sending paid passengers to ISS, my objection is to the idea that Boeing being taxpayers is relevant. If it can be done in a way that advances the goals station program, then it should be done. If not, it shouldn't. It's not some "right" being denied to the taxpayer.

Anyway, we are getting far afield of Brightmans flight. I enjoy seeing these people fly, even if I don't think it's the best use of my tax dollars... (and to be fair, it's far from the worst use they've been put to)

[catdlr]

Soprano Brightman to hit new high note with space station trip

http://news.yahoo.com/soprano-brightman-hit-high-note-space-station-trip-170835931.html

She plans to perform a song from the space station, accompanied by an orchestra back on Earth, but has not yet selected the tune. She has been working with ex-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of multiple hit musicals including "Phantom of the Opera" which made Brightman a global star.

[kevinof]

There was a piece on Sky News the other day about this. They said it would take her 10 days to get there (!) and that  it would make more sense for her to fly on Richard Bransons spacecraft instead. Would get much more coverage.

I wanted to scream.

[Star One]

There was a piece on Sky News the other day about this. They said it would take her 10 days to get there (!) and that  it would make more sense for her to fly on Richard Bransons spacecraft instead. Would get much more coverage.

I wanted to scream.

Do you have a link for this magnificent piece of reporting?

[kevinof]

You really want to share my pain too? I'll take a look. It was the morning show (UK) with Eamon Holmes. I'll see if I can find it online.

There was a piece on Sky News the other day about this. They said it would take her 10 days to get there (!) and that  it would make more sense for her to fly on Richard Bransons spacecraft instead. Would get much more coverage.

I wanted to scream.

Do you have a link for this magnificent piece of reporting?

[Star One]

Thankfully the piece on the ITN news last night was considerably better than your description from Sky.

I believe the same report can be found attached to this article.

http://www.itv.com/news/2015-03-10/will-soprano-sarah-brightman-be-able-to-sing-in-space/

[Chris Bergin]

She's pulled out of the flight due to personal reasons

http://www.sarahbrightman.com/news/postponement-of-flight-plans

[nadreck]

Is there a backup tourist waiting in the wings?

[Kryten]

Is there a backup tourist waiting in the wings?

Yes, Japanese businessman Satoshi Takamatsu.

[nadreck]

He was already going up on the same flight as her, what I thought I was asking was whether there was a person ready to take her place.

[A_M_Swallow]

She's pulled out of the flight due to personal reasons

http://www.sarahbrightman.com/news/postponement-of-flight-plans

The drop in the value of the rouble should have made the trip cheaper. So is she or a relative ill?

[Lars-J]

She's pulled out of the flight due to personal reasons

http://www.sarahbrightman.com/news/postponement-of-flight-plans

The drop in the value of the rouble should have made the trip cheaper. So is she or a relative ill?

Or did the recent Progress issues make her doubt the safety? The rumors of her leaving Russia/training started after that launch.

[Kryten]

He was already going up on the same flight as her, what I thought I was asking was whether there was a person ready to take her place.

That's his role, you must have misread something. This flight only has one spaceflight participant slot.

[nadreck]

He was already going up on the same flight as her, what I thought I was asking was whether there was a person ready to take her place.

That's his role, you must have misread something. This flight only has one spaceflight participant slot.

Oops obviously i had.