The HabForum

OK. Call me crazy, but this idea popped into my head the other day. We know they're going to eventually have a habitat module for the ISS where trainees can do 24-hour missions, right? Well, what if there was a week-long mission option for returning campers?

On the first day, you'd launch and dock with the station, but instead of returning to earth, you'd stay there all week doing experiments and space walks, eating and living together just like the astronauts really do...basically a totaly submersive experience. The teams would need to be bigger, and you'd rotate through mission positions like usual so nobody was stuck doing ground all week. This would be for "hard core" campers who have done the lectures, museum tour, ect. lots of times before and want something a little different.

Thoughts?

Yes! Yes! Very good! I want to do it! Somebody alert the press, we need a new camp program! This would bring a lot of return business to camp. Plus, it'd be cool if they had several cameras inside with TVs around the TCF so that other campers would see it, envy the participants, and come back to do it. Plus, they could bundle it. Go to ASA and then participate in this and get $100 off. It's part of the solution!

Actually, back in the early 90s, they used to have TVs set up in the cafeteria that showed the flight deck and MOCR of one of the sims so that visitors could watch a mission in progress. It was very cool.

I remmeber those. That's what I was thinking of, something like that.

I think you guys are over predicting the demand for something like that lol....it takes a lot of time and planning to put something like that together. And for the number of people that would be interested in something like that... there just wouldnt be a lot of point. In a perfect world where everyone loved science and space camp was always booked it would be great. But i dont think we are living in that world lol. They are worried about getting more people involved....broadening out...not limiting and focusing on a tiny group (but very vocal) lol.

That's a good point, I suppose. If they weren't hurting for money, it'd be a different story, but in these times...

I'm glad you understand what i'm trying to say benji. I was sort of afraid i might have just started a fight when i posted that lol.

I understand what AC_Shrek is saying. It would be hard to do. However it is a VERY cool thought. I would enjoy it.

Wow! That's certainly an idea!

I think it would be neat, but I do agree with AC_Shrek that it's not something that could really be pulled off.

At the same time, they could porbably get away with it once every year or two and just charge a great deal for all of the hard core folks. But I imagine the price would have to be quite high to justify planning for such a rare event.

Such is life.

Hey we all knew it wasnt likely to ever happen when we started thinking about it lol. Its the over active imagination of addicted space campers..lol

Well the idea sounds really great but i agree it would probably never happen. I think the best chance of it happening would be sometime during the off season though it would be somewhat easier to pull off without the summer crowd there.

But off season less people are able to come lol