NASA Reality Show News From Space Station

By: Andy Hodges
02/07/2010 09:59 AM ET

NASA is streaming a mini reality show video for all to see how astronauts work on the International Space Station. It’s not exactly what you’d expect from a reality show. For example, it’s just footage of astronauts working, and you hardly ever hear talking.

MSNBC is currently airing the footage. Unless you’re a scientist, you may have trouble understanding what they’re doing inside the international space station. You might also find it boring to watch.

However, this could be a big opportunity. The space agency is losing money due to surprising budget cuts by the Obama administration. Washington wants the private sector to fund the space program.

President Obama has outlined a new plan that could either ruin the American space program. The program has received a lot of criticism as it relies on other countries such as Russia to take astronauts into space. This includes the space taxi service to deliver people and cargo to Earth’s orbit.

Washington is already paying Russians to deliver astronauts to the space station after the 2003 Columbia disaster. Under the new plan, the Constellation program will be eliminated, Ares I rocket, and the Orion crew capsule. Constellation was aimed at returning Americans to the moon.

This is a very serious matter as it would force America to depend on other countries. America could lose new technologies and innovation. It was innovation and American pride that put the first man on the moon in 1969.

However, the good news is, Lawmakers in Texas, Alabama and Florida have rejected the idea. These states carry the NASA facilities. Sen. Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican, says the plan would be the %u201Cdeath%u201D of U.S. human space flight.

The current policy does call for the space shuttle to retire this year. This will force Americans to rely on the Russians for trips to the space station. It could also ruin local economies that depend on the space program.

However, some experts don’t believe that the private sector can complete these missions safely. The proposed policy shift would free NASA to run the space station and hire private contractors for crew and cargo lift. The agency could then concentrate on research for heavy-lift rockets, orbital refueling platforms and other technologies needed for future exploration beyond Earth.

TV Commercials Could Boost Space Program

The problem for the agency and why America is falling behind in space and science is because of budget cuts. Experts believe that the it could bring in more funding with a Hollywood produced series in space. It sounds like a great idea, but would it work?

The space agency could find itself earning a lot of revenue from TV commercials and end decades of budget cuts. It would take someone in the film industry to piece it together and come up with some plots that would make viewers watch the series each week. In fact, after watching a few NASA videos, I have written something myself that could make a great series from space without any acting by the astronauts. It can’t be that difficult for the industry to create.

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